Schemering in de winter 1862 - 1901

Jules Guiette made this etching, titled 'Schemering in de winter', which translates to 'Twilight in Winter', sometime in the late nineteenth century. Guiette’s wintry landscape is a study in the use of light and shadow, a technique that can be traced back to the Realist art movement, when artists sought to represent the world as it truly appeared. In Belgium, the Realist movement was associated with social critique. We can see this in the subdued palette and the artist's decision to depict a bare, wintry landscape rather than an idyllic scene. This choice reflects a broader interest in representing the lives and environments of ordinary people, moving away from the idealized and often romanticized depictions of nature. To fully understand Guiette's work, one can delve into exhibition records and period publications to understand the role of artists and their relationship to the world. The meaning of art is always contingent on the social and institutional contexts in which it is made and viewed.