Figuur bij een boom 1914 - 1916

Willem Cornelis Rip made this graphite drawing of a figure by a tree, sometime in the late 19th or early 20th century. Rip, who lived between 1856 and 1922, came of age amidst profound shifts in European society. Industrialization, urbanization, and colonialism were reshaping social structures and individual identities, and were often reflected in the work of the Dutch artists of the time. This image is simple. Yet, we might read it as a reflection on the relationship between humanity and nature. Where is the figure positioned within the landscape? How does the figure relate to the tree, and what does this say about the artist’s own understanding of belonging and identity? These questions encourage us to consider the historical and personal dimensions of the work, and how they influence our own interpretations of nature.