Landscape with the Rhône River Valley, near Vienne Possibly 1655 - 1657

This is Jan Worst's rendering of the Rhône River Valley, near Vienne, created with pen and brown ink, brush and gray wash. The landscape genre, during the time this artwork was made, was experiencing a shift. No longer just a backdrop, landscapes became vehicles for expressing national identity and cultural pride. This drawing presents a romanticized view of the Rhône River Valley. The soft washes create an ethereal quality, suggesting a landscape untouched by industrialization. But it does not exist in a vacuum. It's impossible to ignore how representations of land are tied to power, ownership, and the erasure of certain histories. The Rhône River Valley, a site of commerce and agriculture, carries its own complex history of labor and social stratification. Worst invites us to see the beauty in the French countryside but perhaps also to consider the unseen stories it holds. What do you feel when you look at this landscape?