Studieblad, onder andere met landschappen en dieren 1834 - 1906

Here at the Rijksmuseum, you are now observing Maria Vos’s Studieblad, onder andere met landschappen en dieren. Vos sketched these landscapes and animals with graphite on paper. Notice the prevalence of naturalistic motifs; landscapes, animals, and plant-like, round bushes. Throughout art history, landscapes have been linked to emotional states and spiritual journeys. Here, the seemingly simple rendering of natural forms carry deep symbolic weight. Similar rounded, bush-like shapes recur across time. One can observe their presence in ancient Etruscan art, where the ‘tree of life’ motif appears with remarkable similarity, symbolizing growth, connection, and ancestral roots. The persistence of this motif suggests the enduring power of archetypal symbols embedded in the collective unconscious. Such symbols resonate in a deep, subconscious level. These shapes aren’t just landscape elements, they are symbolic echoes traversing time. The bush has resurfaced, evolved, and taken on new meanings in vastly different historical contexts, constantly shifting and progressing.