Boerderij naast een beek 1760 - 1831

Samuel Middiman created this print called 'Farm next to a stream' using etching around the turn of the 19th century. This was a time when the Dutch Republic was being dismantled and replaced by the Batavian Republic, which itself was soon to be absorbed into the Napoleonic Empire. Prints like this were made for a growing art market, intended for a middle-class audience with money to spend on decoration. The image offers a romantic vision of rural life, a common theme at a time of political and economic upheaval. We can understand its appeal as a form of escapism, promoting a sense of national identity rooted in the countryside. The untouched landscape and the simple life, far from urban problems. To gain a better understanding, we might research the print market of the time and the institutions, like art societies, that promoted Dutch art. This artwork reminds us that what we see in a gallery is always shaped by a particular time and place.