Huis Heimerstein bij Rhenen 1731

This is a sketch in pen and brown ink of Huis Heimerstein bij Rhenen, made in the Netherlands in the mid-18th century by Abraham de Haen the Younger. The image depicts a country estate, rendered with a practical economy of line, and this allows us to consider the social and cultural context in which such properties were viewed. The Dutch Golden Age of the 17th century had produced a wealthy merchant class, for whom estates like these were potent symbols of status and success. While the Golden Age had passed by the time of this drawing, these houses and the art which represented them remained important symbols of Dutch identity and social aspiration. To better understand this work, we might research the economic history of the Netherlands at this time, as well as the families who owned such properties and the social function they performed. The meaning of art is always contingent on its social and institutional context.