Herders in berglandschap 1816 - 1851

Editor: This is "Herders in berglandschap" or "Herdsmen in a Mountainous Landscape," a print by Paulus Lauters, made sometime between 1816 and 1851, and currently at the Rijksmuseum. It has such a peaceful feeling; the landscape is vast but the composition feels so intimate. What jumps out at you when you look at it? Curator: My eye is drawn to the meticulous gradation of light and shadow. Consider the layering of tones, particularly how the artist uses graphite and watercolor to define the planes of the mountain versus the softer treatment of the trees. It creates a sense of depth, doesn’t it? Notice too how the line work defines space and how it all functions with respect to the picture plane. Editor: Definitely. The way the mountains fade into the background creates distance, and the sharper details bring figures forward. Does that fading suggest a meaning beyond just distance? Curator: It evokes something of the sublime. Observe the framing: Lauters strategically leads our eye into and through the landscape with trees and tiny human figures in the foreground. How would you describe the relation of the horizontal to the vertical elements in this composition? Editor: The verticality of the mountains is balanced by the horizontal line of the path, almost segmenting the artwork and guiding the eye. The human figures look deliberately placed to reinforce that sense of scale, or rather, imbalance of scale. I had never noticed that contrast until now. Curator: Exactly! I find such a formal reading of the art, brings me so much pleasure to analyze the work beyond its picturesque qualities. Editor: Me too, thank you! Looking closely really does change everything.