Gezicht op de watervallen van Coo 1822 - 1825

Jean-Baptiste Madou captured "Gezicht op de watervallen van Coo" in a print, inviting us to consider the interplay between nature and society. Madou, living through the Belgian Revolution and the rise of Romanticism, was acutely aware of shifting cultural values and national identity. The scene is a picturesque view of the Coo waterfalls, yet it’s subtly staged. The inclusion of human figures and structures suggests a negotiation between the wild landscape and human presence. This tension reflects the era's broader discussions about humanity's relationship with nature and the evolving concept of the 'picturesque.' There’s a quiet commentary here on class and leisure as well. Waterfalls like Coo became tourist destinations, and so the very act of depicting it speaks to the rise of a leisure class with the means to travel and appreciate such views. It invites us to think about who had access to these experiences and who did not.