Kruiwagen met rieten mand 1809 - 1854

Cornelis de Kruyff made this print of a wheelbarrow with a basket some time in the late 18th or early 19th century. It shows the artist's study of everyday life and the objects that defined it. Consider the wheelbarrow: this simple tool speaks to the labor of the working class, the backbone of Dutch society. The print invites us to contemplate the lives of those who toiled the land, their sweat and effort rendered invisible by the march of time. The basket, likely made of woven reeds, hints at the resourcefulness required to build a life from the land. De Kruyff gives dignity to the mundane. The artist’s detailed rendering reminds us of the intimate connection between people and their tools. It preserves a moment, urging us to remember and respect those whose labor shaped our world.