Zeilschip op een rivier 1859 - 1888

Elias Stark made this etching, Zeilschip op een rivier, which translates to Sailing Ship on a River, sometime between 1870 and 1933. It depicts a simple river scene dominated by a sailboat. We can consider how such a common scene acquired meaning in its time and place. Stark was a Dutch artist, working at a time when the Netherlands was coming to terms with its legacy as a world-leading maritime power. While the ‘Golden Age’ of Dutch seafaring was long past, waterways were still essential for transport and trade. Stark’s print is devoid of any human presence, so we could see it as a nostalgic reflection on the relationship between the Dutch and the sea, with a focus on an understated view of nature. To understand the print more fully, it would be helpful to examine the cultural values and popular imagery circulating in the Netherlands at the time. By delving into such sources, we can understand how a seemingly simple work of art is enmeshed in historical contexts.