Het kasteel te IJsselmonde met links de kerktoren 1720 - 1740

Cornelis Pronk made this pen drawing of IJsselmonde Castle in the Netherlands sometime in the first half of the 18th century. Pronk was part of a generation of artists who documented buildings and landscapes, preserving them in visual form. Notice how the castle and church are both depicted with a similar level of detail, suggesting their equal importance in the Dutch landscape. The buildings are neatly arranged, and the image is one of order, prosperity and civic pride. This aesthetic chimes well with the values of the Dutch Republic at that time, a meritocratic society run by wealthy merchants and landowners. Artists such as Pronk played a role in the construction of Dutch cultural identity. The Rijksmuseum possesses many drawings like this, which can be combined with local archives, maps, and other documents to tell us more about the cultural history of the Netherlands. In this way, the history of art is intertwined with the history of society.