Gezicht op een waterval, bij Duneira 1801 - 1802

Curator: Look at this intriguing piece, an engraving from around 1801-1802, titled "View of a Waterfall, at Duneira." It is currently held in the Rijksmuseum, and was created by James Fittler. Editor: It's strikingly picturesque. There's a stillness about it despite the cascading water; a quiet drama. It reminds me of the sublime in landscape art, the beauty intertwined with nature's imposing force. Curator: Indeed. The sublime was certainly en vogue then, and prints like these circulated notions of the landscape as a space for self-discovery, specifically, male self-discovery. We could consider who had access to this sort of art and who didn't. Land ownership, access to leisure, all inform the experience this image offered. Editor: The waterfall itself is such a strong symbol: transformation, the passage of time, and the relentless power of nature to shape the world. Notice how it becomes this focal point drawing us into the depths. Curator: And let's think about the act of depicting this particular scene. A rapidly industrializing Britain increasingly needed raw materials and this came, in part, from places like this. The print aestheticizes a place being reshaped by industrial imperatives, offering a tamed, pleasing version of a place marked by human impact. Editor: I hadn’t considered the engraving in that light. The figures add to the layers; they seem to be engaging in leisure activities but do they belong in harmony with the raw sublime elements surrounding them or set in dissonance to them? Curator: Absolutely, those subtle yet very meaningful nuances raise intriguing considerations of human presence within such a powerful setting, and, for me, offer a glimpse into the relationship between land use and aesthetic appreciation at that time. Editor: Looking again, it is interesting how Fittler is playing with light. The light is diffused, maybe suggesting something more elusive about this interaction with nature, how the raw materials and our relationship with our surroundings may not be entirely transparent. Curator: It reminds us that art is always a product of specific times, contexts, and perspectives, and this print reflects some social and environmental facets of its time. Editor: A single image opens so many pathways for considering ourselves and our relationship with nature through history.