Boerderij in de Eifel 1871 - 1918

Henriëtte van Hove created this woodcut of a farm in the Eifel, with a distinctive emphasis on rustic life. The hay, rendered in a pile in the foreground, symbolizes abundance and sustenance. Across cultures, haystacks evoke cycles of harvest, nature, and human labor. Think of similar compositions in medieval tapestries, where haymaking scenes represent the seasons. Consider also how, in contrast, Impressionist painters, such as Monet, used haystacks to study the effect of light at different times of the day, focusing more on the aesthetic than the socio-economic implications. This woodcut, in contrast, taps into our collective memory of agrarian life, a subconscious connection to simpler times. The visual repetition of the triangular roofs creates a rhythm that is both comforting and slightly unsettling. The image engages us on a primal level, invoking a sense of nostalgia. Thus, we see the cyclical progression of symbols, resurfacing across time, evolving, and acquiring new layers of meaning in response to shifting historical contexts.