Landschap met water bij Genk c. 1846 - 1851

Willem Roelofs made this pencil drawing titled 'Landschap met water bij Genk' at an unknown date and it is now held at the Rijksmuseum. Roelofs was part of the Hague School, a group of Dutch artists working in the late 19th century who reacted against the rigid academic style of art education. This drawing is of the Genk region in Belgium, a popular spot for landscape artists. The art institutions of the time, like the Pulchri Studio artists' society, played a significant role in shaping artistic tastes and opportunities, and the Hague School artists were challenging these academic norms. These artists were committed to representing ordinary rural life, so the sketch might have been used to compose a painting or to record the experience of being out in nature. Art historians can study exhibition records, artists' correspondence, and period publications to understand how paintings and drawings like this were viewed and understood in their own time. These reveal not just the artistic intent but also the social and cultural values influencing both the artist and the audience.