Meisje, leunend op een balustrade 1847 - 1899

Jacob Maris made this pencil drawing, "Girl Leaning on a Balustrade," sometime in the late 19th century. It's a quick sketch, and the girl’s social position isn't clear, but the balustrade suggests a degree of separation, a leaning away from the world. Maris was Dutch, and his art reflects the social and political climate of the Netherlands at that time. The Dutch Golden Age was long over, and the country was struggling to maintain its economic and political power. Industrialization was changing the landscape, and traditional ways of life were disappearing. Artists like Maris often focused on scenes of everyday life, perhaps as a way to preserve a sense of national identity. The Rijksmuseum itself, where this drawing now resides, was founded in this period, part of a larger project of defining Dutch culture through its art history. Historians consult a range of archival sources, from letters to exhibition reviews, to understand how art like this participated in broader cultural conversations. The meaning of art is never fixed, but always contingent on its social and institutional context.