Bergachtig landschap met waterval en brug 1842 - 1887

Carel Christiaan Antony Last created this print of a mountainous landscape with a waterfall and bridge using etching and possibly other techniques. The inscription on the print says, ‘In America,’ but this may well be a fiction. During the 19th century, there was a surge in landscape art, fueled by a growing sense of national identity and pride in the natural world. In the Netherlands this took on a particular form. Prints like this provided a visual representation of the exotic, of places far removed from the flat landscape of the Netherlands. But it's important to remember that images like this aren't neutral representations of reality. They're carefully constructed, influenced by the artist's own cultural background and the expectations of the audience. To understand these works fully, we can turn to travel writing, colonial records, and other historical documents that shed light on the complex relationship between Europe and the rest of the world during this era. The meaning of art is always contingent on its social and institutional context.