Landschap met heuvel, water en bomen before 1815

Here we see ‘Landscape with hill, water and trees’, an etching made by Hermanus van Brussel, sometime around the turn of the 19th century. Van Brussel lived through a period of immense upheaval, including the rise and fall of the Dutch Republic and the Napoleonic wars. Van Brussel’s landscapes emerged within specific social, political, and cultural contexts. During the late 18th and early 19th centuries, there was a growing interest in the natural world. As you observe this landscape, think about the way nature interacts with the people who inhabit it. It is an example of the sublime, a concept that emphasized the awe-inspiring power of nature. These landscapes weren't just pretty pictures; they were ways of thinking about humanity's place in the world, our relationship to nature. Consider the artist’s perspective, and how he mediates our own. Are we looking at nature, or through nature, and towards what?