Landschap met de ontmoeting van Jacob en Esau 1590 - 1633

Boëtius Adamsz Bolswert made this print of "Landschap met de ontmoeting van Jacob en Esau" with engraving. Biblical scenes were common currency for artists in the Netherlands. In the absence of any firm dating, it's safe to assume that this piece came about during the Dutch Golden Age of the 17th century. Bolswert has chosen to illustrate a scene from Genesis that speaks to themes of reconciliation. Jacob, returning to Canaan after years away, meets his estranged brother Esau. The landscape setting is no accident, but an integral part of how we should interpret the scene. In an era defined by mercantile capitalism and colonial expansion, the Dutch landscape became both a symbol of national identity and a site of ideological contestation. Bolswert's work would have contributed to the ongoing dialogues around nationhood, religious morality, and the place of the individual within a rapidly changing world. To truly appreciate a piece like this, we need to do our homework. Biblical texts, social histories, and critical analyses all offer pathways into richer, more nuanced understandings of the art of the period.