Twee boerderijen met spitse gevels 1629 - 1688

Philips Koninck created "Two Farms with Pointed Gables," using etching techniques to create the image on paper. Koninck lived during the Dutch Golden Age, a time of prosperity when the Netherlands was a major power in trade and art. The etching presents a serene view of rural life. The farms appear modest, reflective of the values of hard work and simplicity often associated with the Dutch middle class. The expansive landscape creates a sense of space, a common feature in Dutch landscape painting which mirrors the country's flat terrain. But I wonder, whose labor sustains this view? The focus on the picturesque often obscures the lives of those who worked the land and whose experiences were far from idyllic. In looking at art like this, it feels important to consider whose stories are told and whose are left out. It reminds us to critically engage with idealized representations of the past.