Ontmoeting in het bos 1799 - 1874

Hendrik Jozef Franciscus van der Poorten made this drawing, whose title translates as “Encounter in the Forest,” using pen in the Netherlands sometime in the first three-quarters of the 19th century. Rather than portraying a forest encounter, the artist has depicted a landscape showing houses and towers. It's a bird's eye view, and the artist creates depth by positioning the skyline far in the distance. By including these urban landmarks, he has created a tension between the natural and the built environment. Such an image would likely be intended for those with an interest in the city's topography. This was a period when printed images were increasingly circulated and consumed by a growing middle class. The developing art market meant there was an audience for such landscape images among those who sought an elevated, aesthetic experience. To understand van der Poorten’s artistic motivations and the drawing’s contemporary appeal, historians might explore the period’s changing urban landscapes and the rising popularity of landscape imagery.