Land Of The Giants: Anthropomorphic Landscapes Of The 17th Century

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Prior to the Renaissance, landscapes were principally used as a scene-setting backdrop for figurative art. It seemed as if landscapes were nothing without a human narrative. But this gradually changed. There was a moment when figurative art and the desire to depict landscapes briefly coalesced in anthropomorphic etchings and paintings.

These pictures generally depicted a face hidden within the landscape - as if suggesting the land's significance was shaped by how humans used it. This was particularly true for a variety of artists in 17th century Netherlands who produced work where hidden giant human heads appear to grow out of the landscapes.