European Art History Explores Rural Life from Pastoral Ideals to Social Realism

The portrayal of rural landscapes has evolved from serene imagery to critiques of societal disparities. At the Rijksmuseum, Karel Dujardin's 1655 work, 'Landscape with Two Donkeys, Goats, and Pigs,' presents a tranquil Italianate vista. Another piece from the Rijksmuseum, Adriaen van Ostade's 1661 'Peasants in an Interior,' captivated city dwellers. The Finnish National Gallery houses Alexander Lauréus's 1816 painting, 'A Peasant Dance in Finland,' which embodies Rousseau's philosophies. Nils Schillmark's 1782 artwork, 'The Strawberry Girl,' also romanticizes agrarian life, while Edith Somerville's 1888 'The Goose Girl' is displayed at the Crawford Art Gallery. Critiquing inequality, Hans Andersen Brendekilde's 1889 piece 'Worn Out' is located at BRANDTS. Antanas Gudaitis's 1933 'The New Settlers' is found in the Lithuanian Art Museum, and Karl Nordström's 'Grez-sur-Loing' from 1885-1886 symbolizes urban growth at the Nationalmuseum. This examination is part of Europeana's 'Europe at Work' initiative.