Steen bij een boom 1790

Gerard van Nijmegen made this etching, "Stone by a Tree," sometime in the late 18th century. The image presents a romanticized view of nature, popular during the Enlightenment. But consider what’s absent here: human labor, the exploitation of natural resources, or any real sense of the Dutch colonial project that was very much underway at this time. This was a period when the Netherlands was a major player in global trade, including the trade of enslaved people. A print like this, in its own way, participates in obscuring a much more violent and complex reality. Instead, we are offered a tranquil scene of nature untouched, seemingly detached from the social and political issues of the day. What does it mean to create images of serene landscapes during times of immense social upheaval? The emotional resonance of the artwork lies in this contrast – the yearning for peace amidst turmoil.