Boom bij een hek 1820 - 1872

Hendrik Abraham Klinkhamer made this drawing, ‘Boom bij een hek’, or ‘Tree by a Fence’, sometime in the 19th century. Klinkhamer lived during a time of significant social change, including rising nationalism, industrialization, and urbanization, trends that impacted Dutch society. In this work, we see a tree and a fence, both of which can be interpreted as symbols of division and protection. The tree, strong and rooted, evokes a sense of nature and the organic, while the fence suggests boundaries, enclosure, and the separation of spaces. The use of monochrome tones gives the scene a sense of starkness, and perhaps even melancholy. It invites us to think about the emotional and social barriers that define our relationships with one another and with the world around us. Think about how this quiet scene reflects broader questions about belonging, exclusion, and the ways in which we construct our identities within specific social and political contexts. Consider what the scene makes you feel.