On the shore of Harta pond 

Istvan Nagy created this landscape of the Hungarian countryside with pastel on paper. Nagy lived through a tumultuous period in Hungarian history, marked by war, revolution, and social upheaval. This work is less concerned with these events, however, than with the changing relationship between rural life and modern experience. Look at how the woman walking along the shore seems small and solitary, almost dwarfed by the trees. Although he was trained in academic realism, Nagy's landscapes capture the subjective experience of the natural world. Made during a time of increasing industrialization and urbanization, this kind of image expresses a desire for a simpler, more authentic way of life connected to the land. Art historians look at the context in which art is created, looking at exhibition histories, critical responses, and the artist’s biography to better understand the artist’s intention and the work’s historical significance. Art is never created in a vacuum.