Achterzijde van de Rijks Veeartsenijschool in Utrecht - Michel Mourot

A nineteenth-century lithograph by Michel Mourot showing the rear view of the State Veterinary School in Utrecht, featuring pastoral surroundings.

This lithograph by Michel Mourot depicts the rear view of the Rijks Veeartsenijschool (State Veterinary School) in Utrecht. Mourot, a French artist active in the early nineteenth century, captures the institution within a pastoral setting. The composition balances the architectural presence of the school buildings with the surrounding greenery and open fields. Two cattle graze in the foreground, providing a sense of scale and reinforcing the agricultural purpose of the site.

The print demonstrates the technical precision typical of topographical lithography from this period. Mourot employs fine hatching and stippling to render the textures of the foliage, the building facades, and the atmospheric sky. The perspective is measured, drawing the eye across the meadow toward the structures. The inclusion of the title 'S'RYKS-VEEARTSENYSCHOOL' at the base identifies the location, while the handwritten 'te Utrecht' adds a personal, documentary quality to the work.

Such prints were often produced to document urban development and institutional growth in the Netherlands. The Rijks Veeartsenijschool was a significant establishment in Utrecht, and this view offers a glimpse into its historical environment before later urban expansion. The work reflects the period's interest in documenting specific locations with clarity and accuracy, serving as a visual record of the site's layout and character. The muted, monochromatic palette is characteristic of nineteenth-century lithographic production, focusing the viewer's attention on the structural details and the quiet, rural atmosphere of the school grounds. This print is a fine example of how artists of the era combined topographical documentation with a gentle, observational approach to the natural world.