Gezicht op Passau met de Veste Oberhaus op de Georgsberg 1820 - 1896

Kasparus Karsen made this sketch of Passau with the Veste Oberhaus on the Georgsberg. Karsen lived in a period of significant social upheaval and change, which he reflected in his choice of subject matter. In this period, the rise of nation-states and the complex negotiations of power, particularly across the landscapes and cityscapes, were loaded with political and cultural meaning. Consider how Karsen situates the viewer—outside, looking in at a town dominated by the fortress above. This positioning evokes a sense of distance and perhaps of longing, but also highlights the power dynamics inherent in the built environment. What does it mean to capture a place? Karsen engages with themes of identity, history, and control, inviting us to reflect on our own positions within similar landscapes of power. It's an invitation to consider how the places we inhabit shape who we are and how we relate to others.