Betoverde kasteel 1887 - 1888

Editor: This is Matthijs Maris' "Betoverde Kasteel," or "Enchanted Castle," from 1887-1888, housed here at the Rijksmuseum. The work uses ink in a drawing format, and I am struck by how brooding it is. All I see is a bleak scene with vague dark shapes for trees and castle ruins in the distance. What can you make of it? Curator: It is indeed a dark and moody scene! This work, rendered with ink, departs quite radically from classical depictions of landscapes that focus on clearly defined forms and bright tonalities. I think we should consider the sociopolitical climate. By the late 19th century, art started mirroring rising urbanization and industrial shifts, resulting in pieces expressing isolation. How do you feel this piece participates in, or perhaps resists, conventional modes of seeing the landscape? Editor: The lack of clear form really speaks to me – like he is using abstraction to get at the *feeling* of nature. Instead of something beautiful, he makes it foreboding, perhaps suggesting humanity’s fractured relationship with the natural world. Curator: Exactly! His artistic choices emphasize the public role of art to express complex social commentaries. The vagueness invites viewers to project their own experiences of a rapidly changing society onto the scene. Do you think that the impressionistic style makes the subject more accessible to contemporary viewers, or does the somber palette alienate them? Editor: It's a tricky question...maybe the mood could be seen as beautiful, even romantic, in a melancholy way? The dreaminess draws me in, so perhaps the dark palette only works to emphasize that emotional response. Curator: It seems that Maris is not merely depicting a landscape but also critiquing the social implications of modernity and the psychological impact on its inhabitants. Seeing his work this way really highlights how the mood he creates participates in the art world of his time! Editor: I never thought about approaching landscape art as a commentary on industrial change. I appreciate understanding the art within a wider societal frame; it certainly enriched my viewing!