Bomen in een weiland 1773 - 1843

Editor: This pencil drawing, “Bomen in een weiland” or “Trees in a Meadow,” is by Georges Michel, created sometime between 1773 and 1843. The simplicity of the medium emphasizes the almost mournful quality I see in this landscape. What elements strike you when you look at this drawing? Curator: It's interesting you pick up on that somber quality. I immediately think about the social context. Michel was working during a time of enormous upheaval – the French Revolution, the rise and fall of Napoleon. Do you think a seemingly simple landscape like this can be read as a commentary on the tumultuous events of the time? Editor: Perhaps, but it’s just trees in a field, after all? Curator: Precisely, but that is the point! Think about the rising interest in "the pastoral" or countryside scenes like these, and the interest in “return to nature.” Many nobles escaping war or beheadings moved away from the city! Do you believe a scene like this, made during immense urbanization and social changes, suggests an idyllic escape or perhaps even critique of those disruptive forces? Editor: I didn't consider that the choice of subject could be a statement. The shadows do seem to reach out like grasping hands. Maybe it isn’t as simple as I first thought. Curator: And think about the Realist movement taking hold during this era. Landscape was considered lower than "history" or portrait painting! What statement might Michel be trying to make here by drawing... well, essentially nothing? Editor: So, through a historical lens, the image prompts consideration of the artist's intentions, whether intentional or not, which encourages questioning societal trends, art hierarchy and political events of the era... Okay, now I’m starting to see what you mean. Curator: It goes beyond just being trees in a meadow. Considering the period, we start to see the possible social and political implications embedded in this quiet scene. Thanks for the chat!