Road Through the Wood c. 17th century

Curator: This is "Road Through the Wood," a landscape piece by Johannes Ruischer, currently residing here at the Harvard Art Museums. Editor: It feels almost claustrophobic, despite being outdoors. The trees are so densely packed, it feels like they're encroaching. Curator: Ruischer was working within a tradition of Dutch landscape etching. These scenes were incredibly popular with the rising merchant class. Editor: Did the intended audience ever consider how their wealth impacted these landscapes and those who inhabit them? This curated nature hides so much. Curator: That's an insightful reading. It's important to remember the artwork exists within a complex web of societal power structures. Editor: Absolutely. I am left wondering about our relationship to nature. What is our footprint within such spaces? Curator: Indeed, it prompts us to contemplate how we shape, and are shaped by, the world around us.