Hollandsche Maatschappij van Landbouw 1847

Editor: This is "Hollandsche Maatschappij van Landbouw", a bronze relief made in 1847 by Johannes Petrus Schouberg. It looks like a medal or a commemorative coin. It has all these old-timey agricultural implements on it, a plow, a scythe maybe. What do you see in this piece, considering its time and place? Curator: Well, what immediately strikes me is how this object embodies the burgeoning sense of national identity in the 19th century Netherlands. Agriculture was not just an economic activity; it was deeply entwined with ideas of Dutch character and self-sufficiency. Editor: How so? I mean, it's just farming, right? Curator: Not at all! Consider the context. This medal was created when the Netherlands was still a relatively new kingdom. Societies like the "Hollandsche Maatschappij van Landbouw" – the Dutch Agricultural Society – played a crucial role in shaping the national narrative. They fostered innovation, promoted Dutch produce, and thereby solidified the country’s sense of itself on the world stage. Do you see how the image blends practical tools with almost heraldic symbols of nationhood? Editor: I think I do! The crown, and what looks like a coat-of-arms, feels very intentional now that you mention it. Almost like legitimizing the field through these symbols. Curator: Exactly! This wasn't simply about boosting crop yields. This medal visualizes the intertwined fates of nation and nature. In whose interests was it, and whom did it represent? Editor: It really reframes my view of what I thought was just an image of some old farming equipment! I can see how something like this really pushed a kind of nationalist agrarian image. Curator: Indeed. It makes you think about how images can actively build a nation, not just reflect it.