Spring c. 19th century

Curator: This is Edward Willmann's print, titled "Spring," held here at the Harvard Art Museums. It's a delicate rendering of a forest scene. Editor: There's a quiet beauty to it, a sense of entering into something wild and untamed, yet also cultivated by human presence—note the figure in the background. Curator: Right, the figure invites speculation. Considering the social context of landscape art, does this depict a figure gaining access to spaces previously reserved, or one burdened by the labor of landscape? Editor: Perhaps both. Forests often symbolize the subconscious. The figure on the path could signify the conscious mind venturing into unexplored emotional territories. Curator: I appreciate how you bring in psychological dimensions alongside the historical. This print speaks to the complexity of our relationship with nature, even now. Editor: Indeed. Willmann's "Spring" reveals how enduring symbols connect across eras, shaping our collective memory of the natural world.