Landskab med to kvinder og en mand i skyggen af et træ 1630 - 1705

Adriaen van der Kabel created this landscape with two women and a man in the shade of a tree using engraving techniques. Van der Kabel, a Dutch artist working in the 17th century, lived in a society deeply shaped by its relationship with the land and sea. Here, the artist presents us with an idealized vision of nature. The figures in the foreground invite us to reflect on the pastoral tradition of the era, where leisure and harmony with nature were celebrated. This idealized world is implicitly contrasted to the urbanization and commercial expansion taking place in the Netherlands at the time. As an engraving, this work would have been relatively accessible, opening up the possibility of a broader audience engaging with these themes. In the quietude of this scene, we can find a mirror to the debates of the time, a longing for simplicity, and a critical look at a society in transformation.