Bomen voor een omheining 1848 - 1888

"Bomen voor een omheining", or "Trees for a Fence," is a charcoal drawing by Anton Mauve. Mauve lived in a Netherlands undergoing significant social and economic change, and as a landscape painter, he captured the intersection of nature and human intervention during this period. Here, the stark fence cuts across the landscape, challenging traditional notions of the pastoral. A fence, after all, is a divider, a marker of ownership and exclusion. We might ponder how such structures alter our perception of the natural world. Does it evoke feelings of confinement, or perhaps a sense of imposed order? Mauve was known for his ability to infuse his landscapes with emotion. This simple sketch, with its stark lines and muted tones, invites us to reflect on the boundaries we create – both visible and invisible – and how they shape our relationship with the world.