The Man near the Entry of the Ruinous Hedge 1621 - 1675

Curator: Look at this drawing by Allart van Everdingen, entitled "The Man near the Entry of the Ruinous Hedge," made sometime between 1621 and 1675. The work employs pen and print, demonstrating a stunning landscape vista typical of the Dutch Golden Age. Editor: My first impression is of a sort of wild simplicity. The linework, etched with such care, builds up textures that invite closer viewing. There's a raw beauty to this scene. Curator: Indeed. Van Everdingen traveled to Norway, and it dramatically reshaped his artistic focus. He then began recreating those Scandinavian landscapes for a Dutch audience. The picturesque roughness deviated sharply from traditional idealized landscape paintings of the time. These wilder settings represented a very real departure from the societal norms reproduced elsewhere. Editor: Note how the vertical lines of the trees and the architecture of the humble buildings play against the seemingly random assortment of fallen posts and the sprawling sky above. It's quite skillfully asymmetrical; consider, too, the play of light and shadow that structures the whole composition, drawing the eye from the lower left corner right up into the vast, airy sky. Curator: I'm intrigued by the "ruinous hedge" itself. Fences are about control, order. But the dilapidated nature of it here points to disruption, a break from that societal structure that allowed for these looser forms, which provided an appealing aesthetic quality to the art-consuming public of the Dutch Golden Age. Editor: I am especially fascinated by how the artist handles depth. The strategic use of overlapping forms is fascinating: the building behind the other and those almost hidden animals behind that failing hedge—and with each successive plane becoming slightly fainter in tone. Curator: These weren't simply passive landscapes; these kinds of pieces showcase a burgeoning merchant class ready to redefine their place in the world through new depictions of nature’s role in the economy and everyday life. Editor: Allart van Everdingen truly captured a beautiful and rugged panorama. A closer viewing has really enhanced my sense of his thoughtful rendering. Curator: It is an intimate view into a turning point, visually articulating society’s changing relationship with landscape at that moment.