Landscape 1581 - 1651

Editor: This is "Landscape" painted with oil on canvas, attributed to Abraham Bloemaert, sometime between 1581 and 1651. It has such a calm, almost melancholic, atmosphere. The ruins really strike me. What do you make of it? Curator: Oh, it's got that delicious Dutch Golden Age glow, doesn’t it? I am captivated by the layering – that dark foreground drawing you in, then the sheep – a flurry of white flecks that hint at some other unseen world behind it, that's full of ruins! Do you notice how he contrasts the ruined architecture, with what seems to be unspoiled nature and flourishing trees? Editor: I hadn't thought about it like that, the ruins blending in, becoming almost part of the landscape. It gives it such an allegorical feel, almost like time erasing human endeavors. Curator: Exactly! Perhaps he's asking us – very politely, in that Northern European way – about what will truly last. I find the human figures so subtle, but essential: tiny reminders of our presence – or maybe, more accurately, our fleeting passage? Does that make sense? Editor: That makes perfect sense! I’m now wondering what those people are talking about in that scene, are they discussing a great defeat or just enjoying the nature? It’s incredible how a seemingly straightforward landscape can be so rich with symbolism. Curator: These old paintings, they really do whisper if you give them a moment, don’t they? I find it charming! There are many stories there to imagine! Editor: Yes, it is definitely more intricate than initially perceived, what a clever perspective!