Küstenlandschaft mit Befestigungen 

Paul Bril made this landscape with fortifications with pen and brown ink sometime in the late 16th or early 17th century. This drawing reveals an important shift in the cultural status of landscape. Previously the landscape was merely the background to a historical or mythological narrative, but here it becomes the main subject of the artwork. We see this genre develop in the Netherlands at this time in response to specific social conditions. As the merchant class grew, the social function of art shifted from public display, usually religious or aristocratic, to private consumption in the home. The subject of the painting shifts from the grand narrative to everyday life. This drawing invites us to contemplate our relationship with the natural world. This is a theme that has always resonated strongly in the Netherlands. The Dutch Republic was built on international trade, with fortified harbors like the one depicted here. The coast was seen as a space of freedom and opportunity, but also of danger and uncertainty. By understanding the social history of the Netherlands, we can better understand the meaning of this drawing.