Landscape with Riders c. 1618 - 1620

Editor: Esaias van de Velde’s “Landscape with Riders” presents a serene scene in pen and brown ink. The riders fade into the trees, and the church on the horizon shrinks into the distance. What symbols do you recognize in this landscape? Curator: The riders could represent a journey, perhaps a pilgrimage or even a flight. Consider how the stark tree in the foreground looms over them. Does its broken branch signify fragility, or resilience in the face of time? Editor: That’s a perspective I hadn’t considered. Thanks for showing me that. Curator: My pleasure, I learned as well.