Berglandschap met meertje c. 1860 - 1900

This is a landscape with a lake, etched by Johannes Arnoldus Boland. A powerful and constant motif is the symbolism of the mountain, which, rising high above the landscape, traditionally represents a place of spiritual elevation and transformation. We see the mountain, a symbol as old as time, echoing through art history, such as the medieval "The Temptation of Christ", where Christ stands atop the mountain, defying temptation. In Boland's landscape, the mountain looms, and we are reminded of Caspar David Friedrich's lone wanderer, dwarfed by the sublime power of nature. In both cases, the mountain acts as a mirror to the soul, reflecting our own insignificance and the eternal quest for meaning. These echoes across time create a palimpsest of emotion, a deep, almost subconscious connection. The mountain is forever imprinted in our cultural memory.