Broek in Waterland

by Eva Lechner

Title

Broek in Waterland

Artist

Eva Lechner

Medium

Photograph - Photograph-photopainting

Description

Broek in Waterland is a village in the Zaanstreek-Waterland, in the Dutch province North Holland. It is known for its lovely, typically old-Dutch atmosphere and wooden houses in soft colours.



Broek in Waterland was originally a fishermen's village, and for that reason its church is dedicated to St. Nicolas, the patron saint of seafarers. From the mid 16th century, however, this economic activity was rapidly replaced by stock farming and the production of dairy, for which many houses were extended with an adjoining stable on the back side. The dairy products were transported to Amsterdam by boat. The harbour thus remained vital for the village, and is still characteristic of Broek en Waterland. In the 17th and 18th century, this town was a wealthy place where many impressive houses were built for local families.

For centuries, the picturesque nature of the village was known even outside the Netherlands and it was praised for its cleanliness. From the 17th century, the town was a popular tourist destination for people from nearby Amsterdam but received foreign guests as well. Napoleon famously came to visit here. Much earlier, Joseph II, the Holy Roman Emperor, visited the village but was refused to enter a farm, allegedly because the woman of the house had no time.

Digitally created painting based on my original photograph

Uploaded

May 7th, 2017

Statistics

Viewed 952 Times  -  Last Visitor from Ottawa, ON - Canada on 04/25/2024 at 1:50 AM

Colors

Embed

Share

Sales Sheet

Tags