Rijtuig met pissend paard in een landschap 1710 - 1763

Jan Peeter Verdussen created this etching of a horse-drawn carriage in a landscape, sometime in the first half of the 18th century. Beyond the picturesque scene, Verdussen’s etching offers a glimpse into the social and economic landscape of the Netherlands at the time. In the Dutch Golden Age, landscape art flourished alongside burgeoning trade and urbanization. This image subtly reflects the class divisions of the time, with the central figure of a pissing horse drawing attention to the practical realities that underpinned the wealth of the merchant class. As art historians, we can explore this context further by researching the economic conditions of the time, looking at how the Dutch East India Company shaped artistic production, or by examining the relationship between landscape painting and national identity. Only then can we begin to appreciate the nuances of an artwork like this one.