Drie zeilboten op kalm water 1850 - 1899

Vervoort made this etching, “Three Sailboats on Calm Water,” on an unknown date using an etching technique. Although the exact date is unknown, we can contextualize the piece by considering the tradition of maritime painting in the Netherlands, and how the rise of a bourgeois merchant class created a market for such artwork. The etching technique allowed for wider distribution of images, which helped make art more democratic and accessible to a wider audience. The scene of sailboats on calm water evokes a sense of tranquility and perhaps hints at the economic stability that maritime trade brought to the Netherlands. To better understand this etching, one could research the history of Dutch maritime trade, the development of etching as a printmaking technique, and the role of art in shaping national identity and social values. Art is not made in a vacuum; it is deeply intertwined with the social, economic, and cultural forces of its time.