Landschap met wandelaars langs een rivier 1636 - 1695

Nicolas Perelle created this landscape with walkers along a river as an etching in the mid-17th century. It exemplifies the way the French academy shaped artistic production through its emphasis on classical ideals and the natural world. Here, the figures are dwarfed by an idealized landscape, revealing an emerging cultural interest in nature as a source of aesthetic and spiritual experience. The printmaking medium allowed for wider distribution of such imagery. This catered to a growing market of middle-class collectors eager to acquire affordable art for their homes. The Rijksmuseum, like other institutions, plays a key role in preserving and interpreting such works, influencing how we understand the artistic values and social conditions of the past. To fully appreciate Perelle's landscape, scholars delve into period writings on aesthetics, the history of printmaking, and the socio-economic factors shaping the art market.