Zeilschepen op het water en bomen bij een meer 1900 - 1917

Adriaan Korteweg created this print, titled 'Zeilschepen op het water en bomen bij een meer' – or 'Sailing ships on the water and trees by a lake' – using woodcut. Born in Rotterdam in 1890, Korteweg belonged to a generation of Dutch artists who lived through the turmoil of the first world war. Although the Netherlands remained neutral, the conflict cast a long shadow, influencing art with themes of isolation, reflection, and a search for spiritual meaning. Korteweg was a prolific printmaker who captured landscapes and seascapes that invite us to reflect on humanity’s relationship with nature. His distinctive, expressionist style departs from traditional landscape depictions. The contrasting black and white, and simplified forms, evoke a sense of starkness, mirroring the socio-political anxieties of his time. The serene sailing ships offer a counterpoint, perhaps hinting at escape, or the possibility of renewal amidst turmoil. Korteweg tragically died young, at only 27 years old, not long after this piece was made. Although his life was short, his work embodies the complex interplay between personal experience and broader social forces, reflecting both the fragility and resilience of the human spirit during times of upheaval.