Molens op de stadswallen van Gorinchem 1701 - 1759

Cornelis Pronk sketched "Molens op de stadswallen van Gorinchem" with pen in gray ink around the early 18th century. Pronk, as a draughtsman in the service of wealthy patrons, occupied a unique position in Dutch society. His detailed topographical drawings were not mere landscapes, but documents of a world shaped by trade and power. Notice how the windmills, symbols of Dutch ingenuity and commerce, are carefully placed within the composition. Consider how Pronk’s work contributed to shaping a national identity rooted in the economic and technological achievements of the Dutch Golden Age. It invites us to think about whose stories get told, and how the everyday lives of ordinary people become part of a larger narrative. This drawing encapsulates a moment in time, a world on the cusp of change, viewed through the lens of an artist keenly aware of his place in society.