Houten brug bij een rotspartij Possibly 1630 - 1717

Anthonie Waterloo created this etching, “Wooden Bridge by a Rock Face,” sometime in the 17th century. During this period, the Dutch Republic was rising as a major power in Europe, and landscape art became a way of expressing national pride and cultural identity. Waterloo’s etching depicts an imaginary landscape; a rugged, untamed terrain. But consider the figures in the scene: a man laboring uphill, a couple resting by the water, and the bridge itself, suggesting human interaction with nature. It speaks to the intersection of labor, leisure, and our manipulation of the natural world. The path may be rough, but it invites us to imagine our place within it. The artist invites you to consider the relationship between humanity and nature, and how we navigate the spaces we inhabit. What feelings does this landscape evoke in you?