Berglandschap met een meer 1839 - 1904

Hendrik-Dirk Kruseman Van Elten made this landscape with a lake using brush in brown ink and wash. The scene exemplifies the romantic sensibility for untouched nature that was fashionable throughout the 19th century. It evokes the sublime power of the natural world, something to be admired and feared. But the presence of buildings and figures in the foreground remind us that even the most rugged landscapes are shaped by human presence and social forces. Made at a time of rapid industrialization, the image seems to offer the viewer an escape from the modern world. Perhaps it’s a comment on the changing relationship between people and nature. Was it aimed at an urban audience who were alienated from the land? As an art historian, my job is to ask these kinds of questions. Looking at exhibition records, travel guides, and other archival material can help us to understand the social and cultural context that shaped this image.