Herfstlandschap 1861 - 1889

This is William Unger's "Autumn Landscape", a print showcased here at the Rijksmuseum. The use of engraving creates a textured surface that is rich in tonal variation. The composition is structured around a clearing with trees at the borders, drawing the viewer's eye through the landscape. The use of a receding horizon creates depth, emphasized by the sharp lines of the architecture and the soft gradations of light. The figures pulling the cows along the land seem to emerge from the shadows, bringing to mind a semiotic code where light equals good and dark equals bad. It echoes the philosophies of the Enlightenment, where the pursuit of knowledge and reason were presented as a departure from the shadows of ignorance. Unger's work, however, complicates this binary. He uses shadows to define forms and create a sense of mystery, inviting the viewer to question whether enlightenment can truly dispel the shadows or if they are intrinsically linked.