Gezicht vanaf de poort van Celleno c. 1808 - 1857

Abraham Teerlink created this watercolor landscape, “View from the gate of Celleno,” sometime in the early 19th century. Teerlink, a Dutch artist, was part of a generation of Northern European artists drawn to the Italian countryside. They sought the light and natural beauty of the region. These travels were often undertaken by privileged elites, for whom the ‘Grand Tour’ was considered a capstone to their education. Consider how the experience of this landscape might differ depending on one's position. For Teerlink, it was an aesthetic experience, a vista to be captured in paint. But for the local population, this landscape was their home, their livelihood. It represented a daily negotiation with the land for survival. As viewers today, we're invited to consider whose perspective is privileged in this tranquil scene, and whose stories remain untold.