Thinking of Holland — Teylers Museum

Thinking of Holland

Dutch 19th-century drawings

Jun 02, 2018 to Sep 02, 2018

Typically Dutch images such as windmills, cows, clogs and traditional costumes were popular topics in 19th century art. Many Dutch visual artists longed for the silent idyll of a bygone era, while all around them modern life was taking over. Rather than factory workers and city dwellers, they drew and painted farmers and fishermen. They acted as if nothing had changed in the Netherlands since the Golden Age.

This is how the image of Holland was created: a broad horizon with cows and windmills, fishermen staring over the water and people dressed in traditional costumes. Many tourists from around the world still think that this is what they will find when they come to Holland.

This exhibition offers a comprehensive overview of the museum’s collection of drawings, featuring both well-known and less famous artists who helped to shape this ideal image of the Netherlands.

Landscape with two windmills, Jan Willem van Borselen (1825-1892),
donation Stichting Jhr. H. Teding van Berkhout, 2001