Paarden aan een waterkant 1874 - 1875

Willem Cornelis Rip made this pencil drawing, "Horses at the waterside" on paper, sometime in the late 19th or early 20th century. Rip was Dutch, and this drawing reflects the Dutch landscape tradition. But this isn't your typical Golden Age landscape painting. The sketch-like quality of the image suggests that it may have been made en plein air, as part of a trend that moved painting outside of the studio. You can see a tension here, between the old tradition of landscape painting as a symbol of national pride, and the new, more spontaneous approach to art. The image also comments on the changing role of horses in Dutch society. Once essential for transport and agriculture, by this time their role was diminishing due to industrialization. By researching the economic history of the Netherlands during Rip's lifetime, and studying the development of Dutch art institutions, we can understand more about this drawing's place in history.