The Pointed Rock 1621 - 1675

Allart van Everdingen made this print, "The Pointed Rock," with etching sometime in the mid-17th century. Everdingen travelled to Norway in 1644, and it was this trip that popularized Scandinavian landscape in Dutch art. This image creates meaning through visual codes; the dramatic rock formation and Nordic pine trees are associated with the Northern landscape and the small wooden cabin suggests a rustic life. It was made during the Dutch Golden Age, a period of great economic and cultural growth for the Netherlands, when landscape paintings became popular among the rising merchant class. Everdingen's choice to depict a remote, rugged landscape can be seen as a commentary on the social structures of his time. It challenged the dominant artistic conventions that favored idealized, classical landscapes. By studying Everdingen's prints and other artworks from the period, we can gain a deeper understanding of the social and cultural forces that shaped the art of the Dutch Golden Age.