Gezicht op Rhenen(?) 1830 - 1878

Johannes Pieter van Wisselingh created this etching titled 'Gezicht op Rhenen' - or 'View of Rhenen' - at an unknown date, and it now resides in the Rijksmuseum. With its church tower and distant windmill, the print captures an idyllic view of a Dutch town. Wisselingh would have been working at a time when the Netherlands was undergoing rapid modernization, and the growth of cities, industry and infrastructure was transforming the landscape. Artists played a role in shaping cultural memory and national identity. Many artists focused on the rapidly disappearing rural traditions, while others celebrated the progress of the modern age. To understand Wisselingh's position in this context, we might turn to archival sources and exhibition reviews to understand how he engaged with the artistic debates of his time. We can then consider how institutions like the Rijksmuseum, which was founded in the same era, played a role in defining Dutch cultural heritage.