Drawing from nature

From centuries-old nature studies to contemporary art: like a living archive, this exhibition shows how we have tried to understand and grasp the natural world for generations. Alongside works from the extensive collection of Utrecht landscape drawings in the Munnicks van Cleeff Collection, the exhibition features works by Charley Toorop, Peter Vos, Anne Geene, Raquel Maulwurf, Piet Mondrian, and others.

To better understand the human relationship with nature, the exhibition connects historical landscapes with contemporary perspectives. From the Atlas Munnicks van Cleeff, a collection of 1,500 landscape drawings from the Utrecht region, around 100 works are on view. These drawings depict areas in and around Utrecht that have been transformed over time: streets we know today appear as vast farmlands and open polders.

In one of the museum galleries, Richard Mosse presents Broken Spectre, a powerful portrayal of deforestation in the Amazon. The immersive sounds and visuals underscore the impact and urgency of the issue. The exhibition invites reflection on the evolving relationship between humans and nature. Where fear of nature and the urge to dominate once prevailed, a new awareness is emerging, a recognition that our bond with the natural world is fragile and deeply interconnected.

Image: Charley Toorop, View of Utrecht with Flowering Apple Tree, 1917 | Collection of the Centraal Museum Utrecht, photo Adriaan van Dam © Pictoright