Bauernhof mit großem Heuhaufen in einem Wald, im Mittelgrund Schafe an einem Weiher 

Egbert van Drielst made this drawing with graphite on paper, depicting a man in prayer in a cave, sometime around the turn of the nineteenth century. The image takes us into a shadowy space that is both natural and vaguely architectural, suggesting a world in which Christianity has co-opted a kind of primordial nature. The figure’s act of private devotion is cast in the visual language of Rembrandt, who took an interest in capturing the spiritual intensity of hermits and apostles in dark, contemplative settings. But what's fascinating here is that Drielst was actually a landscape artist. To understand his unusual foray into religious imagery, it's worth examining the social and institutional history of Dutch art at the time, and the ways in which older models of religious art were being repurposed for a new kind of secular, national identity. To understand this drawing better, one could start by researching the art market in the Netherlands at the time, as well as the institutions that promoted particular artistic styles and subjects. Only then can we start to understand the public role of this image.