Landscape 

This “Landscape” was painted by Paul Bril, a Flemish artist who spent most of his career in Rome. Bril was part of a wave of Northern European artists drawn to Italy, where the classical past was being rediscovered and re-imagined. In this landscape we see figures on what seems to be a hunt. Bril’s images suggest the natural world as both beautiful and useful. We see an early modern version of nature, one where the land and its inhabitants are resources to be managed. Bril’s painting suggests that the land itself is ordered for the enjoyment and use of a select few. The division between light and dark may also remind us of the social hierarchies of the time. We can imagine the painting serving as a backdrop to aristocratic life, where ownership of the land and its resources meant power. It prompts us to consider how landscapes are never just about nature, but also about human relationships, labor, and social status.