Imaginary Landscape after 1600

Jan Brueghel the Elder painted this “Imaginary Landscape” on copper, using oil paints. In the early 17th century, Brueghel, working in Antwerp, was part of a culture grappling with exploration and colonization. This painting isn’t a real place but a constructed vision, reflecting a time when the natural world was both a source of wonder and a resource to be exploited. The painting romanticizes nature, while the distant structures remind us of human presence and control. Notice how the dense forest gives way to a panoramic view, a common technique of the time used to evoke both the particular and the universal. As you look, consider what it meant to imagine and represent the world during a period of such dramatic global change and what role art played in shaping those perceptions. The emotional depth of the artwork is a poignant reminder of our complex relationship with the environment, intertwining admiration with the impact of human activities.