Dimensions: height 57 cm, width 83.5 cm
Copyright: Rijks Museum: Open Domain
Jacob van Strij painted this landscape with oil on canvas sometime between his birth in 1756 and death in 1815. This painting presents a romantic vision of rural life, a common theme in Dutch art of the period. Van Strij, working in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, was part of a broader European movement that idealized the countryside as a space of simplicity and virtue, counter to the growing industrialization and urbanization of the era. Consider the influence of the Enlightenment and its emphasis on nature and reason. But, it's also worth asking, who is this vision for? The painting flattens social complexity, presenting a harmonious image that perhaps obscures the realities of rural labor and economic disparity. Investigating the social and economic history of the Netherlands during this time can reveal much about the painting's cultural context.
Comments
Few painters were as popular at the end of the 18th century as the 17th-century landscapist Aelbert Cuyp. The English aristocracy in particular collected his work. Jacob van Strij, who, like Cuyp, came from Dordrecht, based his landscapes on those of his famous predecessor, but he used more colourful accents and infused the sky with a lovely golden glow.
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