Rivierlandschap met boerderij aan het water 1730 - 1775

Johann Georg Hertel created this etching titled, 'River Landscape with a Farm by the Water,’ around the mid-18th century. It depicts a modest farm nestled in a serene landscape, typical of the era's fascination with rural life. Made in Germany, this image reflects the period's complex relationship with nature and society. The farm, with its smoking chimney, suggests a self-sufficient, working community. However, this idealized image contrasts sharply with the realities of rural poverty and social hierarchies that defined the time. We can ask: does Hertel's landscape simply reflect the aesthetic preferences of his patrons, or does it engage with broader social and economic issues? To fully understand this work, we can research German social history, examining land ownership, rural economies, and the era's artistic conventions through books, archives, and other prints. Only then can we start to understand the visual codes and historical associations in this image.