Fotoreproductie van La Meuse à Profondeville door Théodore Baron before 1884

This is a photogravure reproduction of "La Meuse à Profondeville" by Théodore Baron, made by an anonymous artist. Here, we see a rugged landscape. The steep cliff face, with its jagged rocks, dominates the composition, seemingly captured from a low vantage point which amplifies its grandeur. Nature here is indifferent, even in the tranquil river. The scale is grand, but we might think about how this type of landscape impacted the working classes, whose access to nature was being increasingly limited. The historical context is of importance. Baron, a Belgian artist, was part of a broader artistic movement to capture the beauty of the natural world. Yet, how does this artwork interact with the lives of ordinary people, the urban dweller, and the rural worker? What does it mean to create art that seemingly excludes them, or perhaps idealizes a life they can only dream of? Consider how this artwork might not only reflect beauty, but also provoke thoughts about class, access, and the very human desire to connect with something larger than ourselves.