Twee honden in een berglandschap 1666

Cornelis Saftleven made this drawing of two dogs in a mountain landscape with pen and brown ink and watercolour. Saftleven was working in the Netherlands in the mid-17th century when the Dutch Republic was at the height of its Golden Age. The rise of a powerful middle class created a demand for secular art. Saftleven responded by specializing in peasant scenes and animal studies. While history painting remained at the top of the artistic hierarchy, artists found a ready market for genre scenes like this one. Saftleven's choice of subject matter reflects the increasing importance of the natural world and the everyday lives of ordinary people in Dutch culture. To truly understand this work, one might consult period hunting manuals and breed books to trace the social meanings attached to specific types of dogs. Saftleven’s drawing reminds us that art is not created in a vacuum but is instead a product of its time and place.