Weg langs de Pincio te Rome 1884

Curator: Here we have Nicolaas van der Waay's "Weg langs de Pincio te Rome", or "Road Along the Pincio in Rome", created in 1884. It appears to be a sketch rendered in pencil, pen, and ink. Editor: It's delightfully moody! Sort of gives off this isolated, thoughtful vibe. The perspective, angling down this stark pathway...makes you feel like you’re peering into a secret. Curator: The Pincio was, and to some extent still is, a popular promenade for visitors and residents alike. Van der Waay capturing it in this raw, sketch-like manner contrasts with the often-grand depictions of the city during the period. It speaks to the evolving role of artists, breaking away from idealized views. Editor: Right! It’s as if we caught him mid-thought. It makes me think about travel journaling—that intense need to quickly capture a fleeting emotion or moment, rather than a postcard-perfect scene. It definitely makes you question the traditional ways travel has been depicted. And those tiny donkeys on the lower left path. The perspective and those creatures feel slightly dreamlike. Curator: Interesting you point that out! Romanticism influenced the gaze towards nature and personal emotion. He emphasizes the solitary figure and the imposing landscape—both elements hinting at romantic undertones amidst a realist setting. His contemporaries romanticized the ruins; Van der Waay's rendering of the Pincio captures modern isolation amid tradition. Editor: Absolutely, a premonition maybe. All of this industrial geometry contrasting that tiny figure with that tall dark dress! This sketch feels almost post-apocalyptic in its tone; that being in ancient civilization, the streets might be so different. Curator: Considering the expansion of Rome during that period and the shifts brought by modernization, his rendering becomes poignant. It is no longer simply about "being" in Rome, but the changing experience "of" Rome. Editor: Definitely! Van der Waay lets us see with an artist's unfiltered perspective, a lovely and unnerving experience altogether. Curator: I agree; Van der Waay delivers social observation mixed with a deep reverence for space through the most direct means.