Poort met reiziger en muildier 1783

Cornelis Brouwer rendered this sepia drawing of a 'Gate with Traveler and Mule' in the late 18th century. During this period, the Dutch Republic was in decline, and artists often looked to other countries for inspiration and new opportunities. Brouwer, like many of his contemporaries, traveled to Italy, drawn to its rich history and classical architecture. What we see here is less a realistic portrayal and more an idealized vision of Italy. The traveler with his mule represents a romantic notion of journey and discovery. However, this idealized image overlooks the social realities of the time. The lives of the working class and the poor, who were integral to the functioning of Italian society, are notably absent. Brouwer's drawing thus becomes a statement about who gets to travel and who gets to be remembered. It asks us to consider whose stories are told and whose are left out in our collective memory of places and times.