Bosrijk landschap met vogels en doorkijkjes naar een rivierlandschap c. 1700 - 1730

Alexander Baert created this large landscape tapestry, "Bosrijk landschap met vogels en doorkijkjes naar een rivierlandschap," sometime between 1680 and 1719. Baert, a Flemish artist, lived during a period of significant social and economic change in Europe. As a tapestry, the work evokes a sense of opulence and status, reflecting the tastes of the wealthy elite who would have commissioned such pieces. The idyllic scene, filled with lush greenery, birds, and glimpses of a distant river landscape, speaks to the era's fascination with nature and the pastoral. Yet, such idealized landscapes often masked the realities of a society deeply divided by class. The lives of the working class were in stark contrast to the leisurely pursuits depicted here. What is particularly fascinating is how tapestries like this one functioned as both decoration and insulation in drafty castles and great houses. They offered an escape into a meticulously crafted world, far removed from the complexities and inequalities of the time. This tapestry invites us to consider the narratives we choose to weave into our own environments and the stories they tell about our values and aspirations.