Berglandschap met een rivier c. 1741 - 1799

Editor: Here we have Jean Joseph Hanson's "Berglandschap met een rivier," dating from sometime between 1741 and 1799, an etching and engraving on paper. There's a really lovely sense of depth and atmosphere. What strikes you most about this landscape? Curator: It’s interesting to consider how landscapes like this were deployed, and continue to be deployed, in the construction of national identity. These scenes often mask or idealize the true social realities of a place, obscuring issues of land ownership, labor exploitation, or even colonial presence. The very act of framing nature—through the printmaking process here—suggests an attempt to possess it, to claim it, and to render it legible within a specific cultural framework. Editor: I see what you mean. The "untouched" landscape is a kind of myth, right? How might we challenge that myth? Curator: Precisely. Consider the positionality of the viewer, ourselves included. Whose perspective is privileged in this image? Whose stories are erased? The tiny buildings nestled within the landscape might indicate inhabitants, and their relationship with the land may well be in conflict with any sense of serene, untainted nature. How does this landscape reinforce or challenge the dominant narratives of its time? And what meanings do we, as contemporary viewers, bring to it? Editor: I hadn't thought about the way that idealized nature can hide inequalities. Looking at the scene that way makes me wonder about how land is represented today, especially in travel advertising or political campaigns. Curator: Exactly! Thinking about how these representations perpetuate power structures and shape our understanding of the environment encourages critical engagement with the images all around us. This helps us understand not only the art, but the wider socio-political sphere, as well. Editor: Thank you. I’ll never look at a landscape the same way.