Landscape containing fifteen silhouettes 1793 - 1800

This anonymous engraving presents a landscape containing fifteen silhouettes. The title, inscribed at the top, alerts us to the presence of hidden figures. This piece, likely from 18th-century Germany, uses the visual codes of silhouette portraiture, popular at the time, but places it in a fantastical landscape, a realm of dreams and the unconscious. The inclusion of monsters, gnomes, and a symbolic monument hints at deeper meanings. The text at the bottom indicates it was made in Hanau. Researching the cultural and intellectual history of that city might reveal the social conditions that inspired this bizarre imagery. What were the political and social tensions of the time? Was this artwork a critique of power, or a reflection on personal identity? These are the questions that art historians must ask when looking at artworks like this. The interpretation of art depends on understanding its social and institutional context.