Man met wandelstok leunend tegen een boom 1834 - 1903

This is Johan Hendrik Weissenbruch’s sketch, “Man with Walking Stick Leaning Against a Tree,” housed here at the Rijksmuseum. Weissenbruch was a key figure of the Hague School, a movement that sought a more ‘truthful’ depiction of the Dutch landscape and everyday life. Notice the figure, seemingly at rest. What does it mean to seek solace in nature, particularly during a time of rapid urbanization? Weissenbruch and his contemporaries were reacting to the societal shifts, longing for a connection to the land that felt increasingly distant. Consider the image, created in the 19th century. Where does this man come from? What class does he belong to? What relationship does he have to the landscape on which he treads? The artist leaves us with these questions unanswered, inviting us to contemplate our own place within the broader narrative of land and identity. Weissenbruch captures a moment of quiet reflection, set against the backdrop of a changing world.