Landschap met ruïne van een poort en figuren 1762 - 1829

Jean Louis Demarne created this etching, “Landscape with Ruined Gate and Figures,” around the turn of the 19th century. It's an era when artists mined the past for inspiration and found themselves increasingly separated from the traditional institutions that once shaped their careers. Demarne presents us with a romanticized view of a bygone era. The ruined gate and the figures dotting the landscape evoke a sense of nostalgia for a simpler time, while the landscape itself seems untouched by industrialization. We see a society still organized around agricultural and animal labor, which certainly contrasted with the social disruption that Demarne was experiencing in France. Demarne may be subtly critiquing the changes brought about by modernization or perhaps simply longing for an idealized past. As art historians, our job is to consider the social and institutional context in which Demarne was working. Examining exhibition records, critical reviews, and the artist’s personal writings can all help us to understand what this art meant to its creator and its original audience.