Bomen op landgoed Kasteel Groeneveld c. 1877

Carel Nicolaas Storm van 's-Gravesande made this etching of trees on the Groeneveld estate. It's hard to date this work precisely, but its style is characteristic of late 19th-century Dutch landscape art. This was a time when the Netherlands, like other European nations, was reckoning with the cultural impact of industrialization and urbanization. Thinkers began to consider the role of nature, and sought to enshrine it in art. Notice the formal qualities of this etching. The stark lines and attention to detail emphasize the trees' natural forms. But this landscape is manicured; not 'nature' at its wildest. The Groeneveld estate was an elite space. This etching naturalizes social hierarchy by presenting it as an aesthetic ideal. Art historians seek to complicate such images, often consulting estate records and social histories. The etching challenges us to consider how the very idea of “nature” has been shaped by social forces and institutions.