Duinlandschap 1886

Elias Stark created this landscape, titled 'Duinlandschap' or 'Dune Landscape', in monochrome using etching techniques. The low horizon line and dramatic sky reflect a quintessentially Dutch interest in depicting land and weather. During the late 19th century, there was an increasing vogue for landscape painting throughout Europe, often interpreted as an expression of national identity. Stark’s image of the dunes may be seen to feed into this idea of a particularly Dutch landscape. The work was made during a period of increasing industrialization, so we might also see it as a form of social critique, idealizing rural life over the modern city. Examining exhibition records and the archives of art schools might help to understand how artists like Stark were trained and promoted, offering insights into the institutional forces that shaped his art. Through this type of research we can better understand the social and cultural meaning of art.