Landschap met bomen 1785 - 1790

Landschap met bomen is an etching made by Edward Edwards some time during the late 18th century. Edwards, an English painter and etcher, lived during a time of great social and political upheaval, including the rise of industrialization and the French Revolution. The image shows a sparsely populated landscape: a figure walks along a lane toward a small dwelling, while a copse of trees defines the horizon. It is pastoral scene which evokes themes of nature, simplicity, and escape. In the context of the late 1700's, this work reflects the prevailing artistic and philosophical interest in the natural world. At the time, there was a growing divide between the idealized, cultivated landscapes favored by the upper class and the everyday environments of the working class. Edwards's landscape invites us to consider whose perspectives were—and were not—represented in the visual culture of the period. While seemingly bucolic, the image bears witness to a moment of changing social, economic, and representational practices.