Overtocht over een rivier 1837 - 1843

This print, "Overtocht over een rivier" or "Crossing a River", was made by the Van Lier brothers, probably in the 18th or 19th century. It presents us with an idealized vision of rural life. The image draws on visual codes of the picturesque, a popular aesthetic ideal during that time. The scene, likely set in a Dutch artist's imagined version of Italy, depicts peasants crossing a shallow river with their livestock. The crumbling building on the right and the distant mountains contribute to a sense of romantic decay and natural grandeur. It’s important to remember that such images were often commissioned by wealthy urban dwellers, who sought to escape the realities of industrializing cities. Prints like these allowed them to consume a romanticized version of the countryside. To fully understand this print, we might research the history of Dutch landscape painting, the rise of the picturesque movement, and the social and economic conditions that led to the idealization of rural life. Art is always shaped by the social and institutional contexts in which it is made and consumed.