Landschap met rivier tussen rotsen 1785 - 1837

Ernst Willem Jan Bagelaar made this drawing of a landscape with a river between rocks in the Netherlands, sometime in the late 18th or early 19th century. It's a modest drawing, but it offers a window into the changing ways of seeing nature at this time. The Netherlands, with its flat landscape, lacked the dramatic vistas that were becoming popular in Romantic art. Artists began to find beauty in more humble scenes, focusing on the play of light and shadow, and the textures of the natural world. The fashion for the 'picturesque' meant finding interesting and elevated views. Bagelaar's drawing reflects this shift. He emphasizes the height of the rocks, the rushing water, and the wildness of the vegetation. It suggests a growing appreciation for the power and beauty of the natural world. By looking at letters, travel journals, and the writings of art critics from this period, we can begin to understand the changing values that shaped the art of Bagelaar's time. Art is not simply a reflection of the world, but is shaped by cultural ideas.