Landschap met bomen 1848 - 1888

Anton Mauve made this landscape with trees using graphite pencil on paper. Mauve was part of the Hague School, a group of Dutch artists active in the third quarter of the 19th century. They are known for painting en plein air, that is, outside. This sketch gives us an insight into the artistic process, because it shows how Mauve sought to capture the essence of the Dutch landscape, focusing on its open skies and meadows. We can ask, what was at stake for the Dutch in looking at their own landscapes? The Netherlands, a small country, had built a vast colonial empire. Its artists helped to consolidate a sense of national identity by focusing on the local. Understanding this work involves researching the artistic networks of the Hague School, but also the history of Dutch nationalism and its relationship to the colonial project. Art, after all, doesn't exist in a vacuum; its meaning is always tied to its specific social and institutional context.