Bei einem Bauernhaus liegt eine Barke, vorne rechts ein Ufer, bei einigen Bäumen ein Kahn mit zwei Männern 

Nicolaas Wicart created this watercolor drawing, titled 'Bei einem Bauernhaus liegt eine Barke, vorne rechts ein Ufer, bei einigen Bäumen ein Kahn mit zwei Männern,' sometime between 1748 and 1815. Wicart’s delicate touch captures a serene moment of Dutch rural life, reflecting the period's fascination with landscape and the everyday. However, this seemingly peaceful scene exists within a specific socio-economic context. The waterways depicted were vital trade routes, and boats like these were the lifeblood of the Dutch economy. The labor of those who worked these boats—often overlooked in favor of picturesque representations—powered the nation’s prosperity. This raises questions about whose stories are being told, and whose are being erased. What do we make of this scene in which the figures appear anonymous, their identities subsumed by the landscape? Consider how this image invites us to contemplate not only the beauty of the Dutch countryside, but also the complex social relations that shaped it.