Woning van een visser c. 1745 - 1785

Anthonij van der Haer created this etching of a fisherman's home sometime in the 18th century. The image is made up of precisely etched lines that give the scene depth and texture. The subject matter is the everyday life of a fisherman and his family. The thatched roofs and rustic walls are rendered with an impressive level of detail, speaking to the realities of labor and class in the 1700s. The artist uses line and texture to give the scene a tangible quality; you can almost feel the rough texture of the wooden planks and the coarse weave of the fishing nets. The image celebrates the value of labor and the beauty found in simple, functional objects, like the fishing nets and the fisherman's tools. These are essential for survival, reflecting the fisherman’s trade and his connection to the sea. This etching by Van der Haer invites us to reflect on the intersection of art, craft, and social context, challenging traditional notions of high art and encouraging us to recognize the artistic value of everyday scenes.