Landscape 

Mark Beck painted this "Landscape" sometime in the 20th century. It is an interesting depiction of nature, but we need to ask ourselves if we are really looking at nature, or rather a carefully constructed idea of it. The image creates meaning through familiar visual codes of beauty and tranquility, but cultural references and historical associations may also come into play. Where was this made? Knowing that Beck was an American painter allows us to narrow down the field. Aspects of the cultural landscape such as geography, religion, historical events, social class, political movements, or economic structures may have all had an impact on the artwork. Does it comment on the social structures of its own time? Is it self-consciously conservative or progressive? Does it critique the institutions of art? To truly understand its context we might need to turn to period publications and institutional records, to see how this artist and this kind of landscape, were understood at the time. Remember that the meaning of art is contingent on social and institutional context.