Heuvellandschap en zeilschepen bij bomen Possibly 1914

Editor: This work, "Heuvellandschap en zeilschepen bij bomen", possibly from 1914, is a woodcut by Jacoba van Heemskerck currently at the Rijksmuseum. I find its stark black and white geometric shapes quite striking, creating an almost dreamlike version of a landscape. How would you interpret the symbols and imagery that you see within this work? Curator: I'm immediately drawn to the duality. The hilltop scene above feels like a solid foundation, a safe vista almost, contrasted sharply with the fractured, almost chaotic nautical scene below. The ship imagery—are those fractured masts? Uprooted trees nearby?— carries significant cultural weight, especially considering the possible date. It whispers anxieties around the shifting landscape before the First World War. The "safety" is in fact quite menacing. Editor: Anxieties, how so? I saw it more as an interesting stylization rather than inherently negative. Curator: Think of ships traditionally: they’re vehicles of exploration, commerce, connection. Here, their fragmentation could symbolize a fracturing of those very ideals. Heemskerck lived in a time of tremendous social and political upheaval. Perhaps this seascape speaks to the unraveling of perceived stability, reflected also in the jagged shapes. The landscape, with its heavy dark areas is equally unstable. What emotions does this provoke in you? Editor: I suppose I can see that. The shapes *are* quite sharp, and there is a lack of comforting detail. It feels much colder now. Does that apply to all her landscapes from that period, or just this one, do you think? Curator: That’s an insightful question. Examining her broader body of work could reveal if this fragmentation and stark symbolism is a consistent theme or a reaction to particular events. Either way, I think we can agree the cultural memory embedded in these forms resonates even now, prompting a deeper look beneath a deceptively simple surface. Editor: Absolutely! Thanks, that was very thought-provoking. I'll definitely research other landscapes she made.