Pad door het bos met wagen, wandelaar en ruiter before 1815

This print by Hermanus van Brussel depicts a path through a wooded landscape, rendered with delicate lines and etching techniques. The composition is structured around a central path that leads the eye into the depths of the forest, flanked by trees on either side. Van Brussel's use of line is particularly striking. He employs a variety of strokes—short, dense hatches for shadow and longer, more flowing lines to suggest movement and texture. This creates a sense of depth and atmosphere, drawing the viewer into the serene yet slightly melancholic scene. The figures—a wagon, a wanderer and a rider on horseback—are integrated into the landscape, their presence secondary to the overall impression of nature's quiet grandeur. It evokes a sense of romanticism, yet its formal qualities—the precise lines, the balanced composition—reveal an underlying structure that tempers any excessive emotionality. The print invites us to reflect on the relationship between humans and nature, not as a dramatic confrontation, but as a subtle, harmonious coexistence.