Gezicht op Bennekom 1731

Curator: What a peaceful scene! It’s Abraham de Haen the Younger’s "View of Bennekom," a drawing made in 1731, rendered in pen and brown ink, and accented with a touch of pencil. It resides here at the Rijksmuseum. Editor: There’s something almost meditative about it, isn’t there? So minimal. The town nestles so neatly into the landscape. I almost feel as though I am spying on the villagers from afar. Curator: That's a wonderful observation. It really does offer a sense of removed observation. Dutch art of this era—and this one’s from the Golden Age, after all—often shows towns from a slight distance, almost to emphasize the harmonious co-existence of village life within its larger environment. Editor: Harmony! Yes, exactly. Look at the way the church steeple dominates the skyline but isn't imposing. The muted color helps with the overall impression that the church belongs within nature’s boundaries. How radical! It makes me wonder what religious life must have been like in 18th-century Bennekom? Curator: Considering the drawing materials and medium it's quite possible this artwork was part of a portable sketchbook; maybe even something created "en plein air"—though admittedly there is not much detail about this drawing and its origin, or its place within De Haen’s wider practice. Editor: Like a visual diary! It certainly lends it a personal, even ephemeral feel. Almost as if this specific vantage point may never appear again to the village or to me. Does De Haen offer this type of personal or emotional perspective often? Curator: He depicted many landscapes. It's not an easy read on what could be seen as such commonplace subject matter, as landscape. There isn't anything radically unique or emotional jumping out when placed beside others’ work. Editor: Well, sometimes the magic's in the ordinary, wouldn't you agree? The beauty is that the ordinary can sometimes unveil deeper resonance if we look at it in the correct mindset. Curator: Perhaps the truth lies somewhere in between? Anyway, what a pleasurable, thought-provoking glimpse of 18th-century life, if only a short walk in time through this artist's intimate impression of Bennekom. Editor: Indeed. A calming sojourn through Dutch Golden Age countryside, and another affirmation of how looking closely at simplicity might enrich our experience of place.