Rivier langs de rotsen 1665 - 1721

Editor: Here we have Jan van Nickelen’s "Rivier langs de rotsen", dating from somewhere between 1665 and 1721. It’s a small landscape, an intaglio print really, with detailed ink work on paper, and something about the scene feels both wild and carefully composed. What social narratives can we extract from this depiction? Curator: That's a great starting point! Beyond the picturesque, consider the historical context. Landscape art during this period often reflected ownership and control over nature. Nickelen’s river scene, with the suggestion of civilization perched atop the rocks, could be read as a visual assertion of power – humanity dominating the wild. What impact do you think this ideology would have had? Editor: So, instead of just a pretty view, it is propagating a mindset? How does that connect to contemporary issues? Curator: Precisely! Think about contemporary debates around environmentalism, and resource extraction, and how landscapes are still depicted to justify specific actions. This idealized image can, we could argue, normalise certain beliefs about the accessibility and purpose of the natural world, furthering an ideology. Editor: That is incredibly eye-opening. It challenges the notion of landscapes as simply aesthetic objects. Curator: Indeed! The small scale could itself be seen as an instrument; did people from marginalized communities have access to those objects at all? Considering this, it leads to different questions from art history's mainstream views, and opens up discussions about colonial impact, exploitation and climate change in the art space. Editor: This conversation really changed the way I look at even the most 'peaceful' landscape. Thanks for your perspective! Curator: And thank you! Hopefully this conversation has spurred you – and our listeners – to challenge conventional narratives of beauty.