Zeilschepen en sloepen aan de kade bij een dorp 1856

Henri Adolphe Schaep created this etching, "Zeilschepen en sloepen aan de kade bij een dorp," a view of sailing ships and sloops at the quay near a village. Schaep lived during a time of significant social and political change in the Netherlands and Europe; the print shows us an idyllic view of Dutch maritime life. We might consider, though, who had access to this life, and who did not. The scene is full of people, yet it obscures as much as it reveals. There is little to distinguish individuals from each other, and little to suggest the realities of labor and trade that underpinned Dutch society. Consider, also, that Schaep died fairly young. This lends a poignant note to the scene; his portrayal of a bustling harbor becomes a reminder of time's passage and the ephemeral nature of human activity.