Boslandschap met reizigers 1849

Jacob Cremer painted this oil on canvas, "Woodland Landscape with Travelers" during the Dutch Romantic era. He lived in a time of evolving national identity, influenced by the aftermath of the Napoleonic Wars, and growing industrialization. Notice how the painting evokes a sense of the traditional, with its idyllic and idealized rendering of the Dutch landscape. This romanticized depiction of nature reflected a desire to preserve a sense of national identity rooted in the land. But let’s consider who is included and who is not in this national image. The travelers on horseback, who are afforded prominence in the landscape, are likely members of the bourgeoisie, not laborers toiling in the fields. Where are the realities of the urban poor, or the colonies? Cremer's landscape serves as a reminder that even the most serene scenes can be imbued with complex social and political meanings. It prompts us to consider whose stories are told and whose are left out of the dominant narratives of nationhood and belonging.