Landschap met weg, bosrand en elektriciteitspalen 1867 - 1918

Maurits van der Valk made this landscape with road, forest edge, and electricity poles with etching. Van der Valk was working during a period of great change and modernization in the Netherlands. This work provides a glimpse into the shifting relationship between nature and technology. The stark, almost industrial presence of the electricity poles amidst the natural scenery invites us to consider the impact of modernization on the Dutch landscape, and how it shapes our understanding of place and identity. The poles may suggest power, progress and connectivity, but also hint at disconnection, alienation, and perhaps even ecological disruption. This makes the viewer wonder about the people who lived and worked in these changing landscapes. The seemingly mundane scene evokes a sense of transition. It’s a moment of reflection on the evolving relationship between humanity and the environment.