Road at the Edge of the Forest 1616

Curator: This is "Road at the Edge of the Forest" by Willem Pietersz. Buytewech. The print, now residing at the Harvard Art Museums, showcases the artist's remarkable skill with etching. Editor: It has a surprisingly serene feel, despite the intricate detail. The road pulls me right into the landscape; it makes me think about the accessibility of nature to the common person at that time. Curator: The etching's intimacy reflects the growing merchant class and their evolving relationship with the land. These images gave a new perspective on landscape, and their position in society. Editor: It's fascinating how Buytewech transforms a simple path into a stage for reflecting Dutch society and its relationship with the environment, and how this is accessible to us today, no matter our gender or race. Curator: Precisely, and these prints become critical documents for understanding the intersectional concerns of early modern Dutch culture. Editor: It really gives one pause to consider how art serves as both a mirror to its time and a lens through which we can examine our own.