Mountain valley with waterfall 

Franz Kobell created this ink and wash drawing, titled "Mountain valley with waterfall," sometime between the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Kobell lived during a time of significant social change, including the rise of industrialization and urbanization. Here we see figures traveling through nature. The small scale of these figures against the vast landscape may evoke a sense of the individual's place in the world. Kobell may be subtly addressing the relationship between humanity and the natural world and perhaps even questioning humanity's impact. The way the artist uses light and shadow may speak to the human experience, where light represents clarity and hope, while shadow symbolizes the unknown and the challenges of life. In many ways the work asks us to find beauty in nature, perhaps as a space for contemplation. It also asks us to consider the complicated nature of our relationship to the land.