Landschap met boom 1874 - 1876

Willem Cornelis Rip made this sketch of a tree with graphite on paper some time in the late 19th or early 20th century. The Dutch landscape tradition had a huge influence on European art, and as we see in this understated drawing, it was still going strong in Rip’s time. The image presents a tree extending across the page, and in the background, we can see a hazy line of trees in the distance. The artist paid attention to the details of nature, capturing the texture of the leaves. Landscape painting has long been associated with national identity. In the Netherlands, it served as a symbol of pride, reflecting a sense of connection to the land. Looking at paintings of this kind encourages us to ask how they reflect the values, beliefs, and power structures of the time. Historical research can tell us a lot about the social context of artistic production.