Landscape with two trees 

Carl Spitzweg made this Landscape with Two Trees with graphite on paper at an unknown date. We can relate its formal qualities of openness and simplicity to the broader cultural and social context of mid-19th century Germany. Spitzweg was a Biedermeier artist, a style that turned away from grand historical or mythological themes in favor of intimate scenes of everyday life. This drawing is of an informal landscape, and the seeming artlessness of it chimes with the Biedermeier values of domesticity, simplicity, and the middle class appreciation of nature. To understand this work fully, a historian might consult periodicals and illustrated magazines from the time. These sources reveal the values and tastes of Spitzweg's audience and provide a fuller understanding of his position within the art world. This art reminds us that artistic expression is often shaped by the prevailing social conditions and cultural values of its time.