Bosrand met een pad 1838 - 1888

Jean Pierre François Lamorinière etched this path through a forest edge, now held at the Rijksmuseum. Note the trees, bare, with intertwined branches that form a canopy, a recurring motif throughout art history. From ancient tapestries depicting sacred groves to the dark forests of Romantic painting, these arboreal canopies often represent the boundary between the known and the unknown. Think of the forest in fairy tales, a place of trials and transformations. Now, consider the path. It invites us into this uncertain space. Paths have been used throughout history to symbolize journeys, both literal and metaphorical. This path in particular reminds me of those sinuous routes in Persian miniatures, leading the viewer’s eye and spirit deeper into the narrative. It connects to our collective longing for exploration. The emotional pull of this simple etching lies in this very invitation—to venture beyond the familiar.