Dijkdoorbraak bij Dreumel, 1855
Willem Gruyter jr.
1832 - 1880
Medium
etching
Dimensions
125; 215
About this artwork
collector's mark: Lugt 2165
Art Historical Context
**Dijkdoorbraak bij Dreumel, 1855** by Willem Gruyter jr. captures dramatic moment from Dutch history: the catastrophic dike breach at Dreel in 1855. This event, part of severe flooding along the Maas River, threatened lives and livelihoods in the low-lying Netherlands, where water management has long defined the landscape and national resilience. Gruyter jr. (1832–1880), a skilled Dutch artist active in the mid-19th century, documented this disaster with vivid realism, reflecting the Romantic interest in nature's power and human vulnerability. Rendered as a delicate etching—measuring just 12...