Boerenwoning 1809 - 1845

Anthony Oberman rendered this Dutch farmhouse using pen and brush in the early 19th century, with an approach that highlights the building's construction. Note how the thatched roof, a traditional material, is carefully delineated, as is the timber framing of the structure. Oberman has paid close attention to the way the materials come together. You can see the thatch laid in dense, overlapping strokes, giving a sense of the thatcher’s labour. The drawing emphasizes the textures and forms of the building's components. In its time, a farmhouse like this would have been a hive of activity, with the labor of a family and farmhands concentrated within its walls. Considering the care with which Oberman depicts this structure, his work suggests a sensitivity to the lives of those who inhabited and maintained it. He elevates the status of both the building and the people who occupied it through close observation. It prompts us to consider not only the aesthetics of the image, but also the lives and labor it represents.