Boot langs de oever van een meer 1866 - 1910

Frans Hens created this etching, "Boot langs de oever van een meer", sometime in the late 19th or early 20th century. The image depicts a boat resting on a reedy shore, the whole scene rendered with a remarkable economy of line. Hens was a Belgian artist, and this work reflects a broader European trend at the time. As urban centers grew, so did a desire for scenes of untouched nature. But this wasn't just about pretty landscapes. Artists and intellectuals were starting to question the social and environmental costs of industrial progress. Prints like this one, affordable and easily distributed, played a vital role in shaping public attitudes toward nature and conservation. To fully appreciate Hens's work, we need to look at the cultural debates of his time, exploring period writings and the emergence of environmental movements. Only then can we understand how this seemingly simple image spoke to a society grappling with its changing relationship to the natural world.