Rotslandschap 1873

Emile Puttaert created this landscape engraving. His meticulous lines, in a modest format, encourage us to consider the culture of seeing in the 19th century. At the time, landscape paintings were highly esteemed, and the artistic and intellectual elite were captivated by the sublime aspect of nature. This piece, however, is not a painting but a print. As such, the piece embodies a tension, as it makes available to the wider public a subject that was associated with wealth and status. The industrial revolution made it possible to reproduce images on a large scale, disrupting previous social hierarchies. While some resisted these changes, others, such as Puttaert, seem to have found a space in this transformation. There’s something very intimate about the size of this artwork. It invites us to reflect on how we relate to the environment through the mediation of technology and the democratization of art.