Bergachtig landschap met bomen 1851 - 1889

Agustín Riancho made this landscape, ‘Bergachtig landschap met bomen’ or ‘Mountainous landscape with trees’ as an etching. It presents a hillside densely populated with trees, with mountains behind. Made in Spain at the turn of the 20th century, it recalls the kind of picturesque views sought out by artists and tourists alike. The image presents an ideal of the natural landscape as a place for leisure, reflection, and aesthetic appreciation. Yet, in Spain at this time, there was a great deal of social inequality and political struggle. The image shows none of this. We can read it as a conservative image in its focus on the beauty of nature, perhaps a distraction from the pressing social issues of the time. To find out more, we might look into the history of tourism and leisure in Spain, or perhaps explore Riancho’s involvement in artistic institutions and political movements of the time. The meaning of this image will depend on such social and institutional contexts.