Bildnis eines Sohnes des Künstlers 

Gustav Schraegle made this watercolor painting, "Bildnis eines Sohnes des Künstlers," or "Portrait of the Artist's Son," at an unknown date. Schraegle's depiction of his son gazing out of the window might tell us something about the social conditions that shaped artistic production at the time. Looking at the way the image creates meaning through visual codes, we see a well-dressed young man in a moment of quiet contemplation. Was he perhaps awaiting his call up to military service? The image may be understood better by considering the institutional history of the Städel Museum, where it is housed. What social function does art serve in this German institution, and what is the political significance of Schraegle’s chosen subject matter? These are some of the questions art historians ask, using archival resources to contextualize art within social and institutional settings. Art’s meaning is contingent on such contexts.