Links eine Baumgruppe mit einer Einzäunung, an der ein Warnschild befestigt ist 

Franciscus Andreas Milatz made this drawing with pen and brown ink, with gray wash over light gray ink ground. The artist has depicted a group of trees, a fence, and a warning sign in a rural setting. It’s likely that this image, made in Germany, reflects the emerging Romanticism of the late 18th and early 19th centuries. But what’s curious is the appearance of that warning sign. Does it symbolize the growing restrictions on movement and access to land, reflecting the social and political tensions of the time? Did Milatz intend for this drawing to comment on the changing relationship between people and the natural world? To understand more, we can dig into the records of land ownership, and the social history of 18th-century Germany. By looking at the work in its historical context, we can start to unravel the complex meanings embedded within it.