Passage at the ford 1819

Hendrik Voogd made this large landscape painting, “Passage at the Ford,” with oil on canvas in the late 18th or early 19th century. It depicts a pastoral scene of figures crossing a river with their cattle, set against an idealized backdrop of mountains and forests. Voogd, a Dutch artist, spent much of his career in Rome. The Roman Campagna, with its ancient ruins and picturesque landscapes, became a popular subject for artists. Northern European artists were particularly interested in the region’s light and its associations with classical history. The art market at the time was driven by wealthy tourists seeking souvenirs of their travels. Voogd catered to this demand by producing paintings that evoked a sense of nostalgia for a simpler, more idyllic past. However, these idyllic scenes often obscured the harsh realities of rural life. To better understand Voogd’s work, we can consult period travel guides, artists’ biographies, and economic histories of the region.