Landschap bij Spangen, gezicht op Den Bosch en de kop van een boerenknecht 1868

Landschap bij Spangen, gezicht op Den Bosch en de kop van een boerenknecht, is a sketch made by Johannes Tavenraat in the first half of the 19th century. During the 1800s, Dutch art was caught between romanticizing the national landscape and responding to socio-economic changes. Tavenraat here seems to explore these themes, contrasting the rural, working-class figure with serene landscapes featuring traditional windmills and distant city views. The sketch gives us insight into the lives of ordinary people amid a rapidly changing society. The inclusion of the boerenknecht, or farmhand, invites reflection on labor, rural life, and the representation of the working class during this era. The drawing doesn’t necessarily critique or celebrate, but captures a moment of observation, a glimpse into a life that was both integral to and often overlooked by society.