Landschapschets 1750 - 1809

David Alphonse de Sandoz-Rollin made this landscape sketch with pen in the late 18th century. It is one of countless quick studies made at this time, when artists were turning away from the formal gardens of the aristocracy to find inspiration in the wildness of nature. The sketch gives us an insight into the changing social landscape in Europe at the time. We can compare it with the finished landscape paintings that were exhibited in the Salons of Paris and London at this time. Sandoz-Rollin's sketch represents an embrace of nature that, I would suggest, reflects revolutionary ideals, even if indirectly. A cultural shift towards valuing the simple and natural over the ornate and artificial. To deepen our understanding, we might examine the artist's other works, read period accounts of the changing attitudes toward nature, and delve into the philosophical underpinnings of the era. Art becomes truly meaningful when we appreciate its ties to the world that creates it.