Rivierlandschap met molen c. 1868s - 1878s

Editor: This is Jan Willem van Borselen’s "River Landscape with a Mill," a drawing using pencil and pen, made sometime between 1868 and 1878. The sketchiness gives it an ephemeral quality, like capturing a fleeting moment. What do you see in this piece, beyond just a landscape? Curator: What strikes me is its quiet resistance to the dominant narrative of industrial progress. Look at how van Borselen centers the traditional windmill, a symbol of pre-industrial Holland, within the burgeoning landscape of modernity. It is crucial to question what isn't depicted as much as what is: where are the factories? The belching smokestacks? Editor: So, the artist is making a deliberate choice to focus on an older way of life? Curator: Exactly. By sketching this scene, he implicitly critiques the disruptive forces of industrialization, which marginalized agrarian communities and redefined labor. Furthermore, think about the accessibility of sketching as a medium. It democratizes artmaking. Did the working class have as easy access to oil paints and canvases as the elite? Editor: That’s a good point. It’s a subtle protest, accessible to many, both in creation and consumption. I initially saw just a pretty landscape but didn't consider it as commentary. Curator: It reminds us to always question whose stories are told, and how, especially during periods of immense societal change. It's not just about aesthetic appreciation; it’s about historical consciousness. Editor: I see that now, framing the artwork historically adds valuable insight to our understanding of the artwork, I’ll keep it in mind! Curator: It goes beyond the surface and encourages us to think deeply about its cultural role, reminding us that landscapes are never politically neutral.