'God-Natuur-Kunst': De rol van religie bij de natuurbeleving en de natuuruitbeelding door Nederlandse landschapschilders, ca. 1780-1870

Abstract

The thousands of surviving studies, drawings and paintings by Dutch landscape painters of the ‘Romantic period’ (c. 1780-1870) appear at first glance to be unquestionably ‘beautiful landscape art’. But what did nature mean to these painters? Did religion play a role for them in their experience of nature, as well as in their depiction of it? Did they express themselves in that direction, and if so, can something of such an experience be seen in their art? These questions underlie this thesis. To clarify these issues, an extensive source study was undertaken. Numerous archives were searched for texts by as many landscape painters themselves as possible.

These sources were searched for articulations of experiences of and views on nature, or parts of it, with special attention being paid to described experiences with a religious dimension. There proved to be many of the latter category. These passages in the source texts are linked to the various natural and other visual elements in the works of art (mountains, waterfalls, trees, severe weather, churches, ruins and so on). The source material studied permits the conclusion that religious meaning and symbolism in these works of art can be spoken of on different levels.