Boslandschap met hert 1798 - 1837

This forest landscape with deer was created by Ernst Willem Jan Bagelaar, most likely in the Netherlands in the early 19th century. The image is striking for its formal qualities: the deer is set back from the foreground, which is dominated by sharply vertical trees. This composition might evoke a sense of the sublime: the insignificance of the individual in the face of nature. However, in 19th century Europe, the experience of landscape was increasingly mediated by institutions. Scientific forestry and hunting became popular pursuits for the upper classes. Picturesque landscape prints like this one were part of that trend, providing a simulacrum of nature for those who increasingly lived in cities. To better understand the image, we might research the history of forestry or country estates in the Netherlands. Social and institutional contexts like these shape our very understanding of what nature is.