Drie stobben van eiken c. 1820 - 1833

J. Bernard created this print of three oak stumps, sometime in the 18th or 19th century. Notice the way these aren't idealized or romanticized trees, but broken stumps. Landscape art at this time often served to highlight the power of landowners and their control over nature. In that context, this image might be seen as a subtle commentary on deforestation and the impact of human activity on the environment. The print seems to be drawing attention to the consequences of resource extraction and land use. To understand this work better, we need to ask questions about the social conditions of its time. What was the state of forestry? Were there nascent environmental movements? Such research can help us understand how art reflects on the society in which it was made.