Riviergezicht met schepen 1727 - 1793

Editor: Here we have Leendert Brasser's "River View with Ships," created sometime between 1727 and 1793. It's a print, an engraving, and it feels so calm, so Dutch. I love the light on the water and the enormous clouds! What do you see in this piece? Curator: I see a picture steeped in its time, one that silently speaks of Dutch maritime power but also its dependence on trade. The Baroque era, while known for its grandiosity, often masked the realities of colonialism and social inequality upon which this prosperity was built. This idealized view, though beautiful, begs the question: Whose stories are left out of this picturesque scene? Editor: That's interesting! I was so drawn in by the peacefulness of the river. I hadn't thought about any sort of subtext or other voices. Curator: Consider the ships: they're not just transporting goods; they're carrying histories, often of exploitation and extraction. Can we see in this landscape echoes of those dispossessed, those who weren't benefiting from this river view? Or even those being pressed into naval service against their will? The artist gives us the river, the question is, "Who gets to partake of it?" Editor: So you are saying it is too idyllic? That its beauty masks certain darker truths? Curator: Exactly! I am interested in those gaps. Ask yourself "Where are the Indigenous perspectives?". By acknowledging the silences, we engage with this image on a deeper level and it challenges us to see beyond the surface. Editor: It definitely gives me a new perspective on how to engage with landscapes of this period, how important it is to view art through an intersectional lens. Curator: And it is crucial to remember, this art is *for* us too.