Boslandschap, mogelijk in Zuid-Afrika 1967 - 1971

Willem Jacob van den Berg possibly created this photograph of a 'Boslandschap' - or 'woodland' in English - in South Africa, although the date is unknown. What does a South African landscape mean when viewed through the lens of a white, European artist in the mid-20th century? The image offers a serene view, dominated by the uncultivated, natural landscape. But the presence of the artist, and the act of capturing this scene, brings into focus the fraught history of land ownership and representation in South Africa. The choice to depict an untouched landscape might be read as an idealization, one that perhaps ignores the social and political realities of the time, including the institutionalized racism of apartheid. As art historians, we need to consider the artist's biography, the prevailing artistic trends, and the socio-political climate of the time. This photograph, like all art, is a product of its context and deserves careful, critical examination.