Zerklüftete Felsen an einem Gewässer 

Franz Kobell made this pen and brown ink drawing, “Zerklüftete Felsen an einem Gewässer” or “Jagged Rocks at a Body of Water”, sometime during his lifetime from 1749 to 1822. Kobell lived during a time of great social and political upheaval in Europe; from the Enlightenment to the rise and fall of Napoleon. Kobell came from a family of artists in Mannheim, Germany, and he spent his life working as a court painter and engraver for the Elector of Bavaria. He was known for his landscape paintings and prints, which often depicted idealized scenes of the Bavarian countryside. In this drawing, we see his focus on nature, showing the sublime power of the natural world and the insignificance of humankind. However, his works do not depict the realities of 18th century peasants or the social inequalities that sparked the French Revolution. While this drawing may evoke feelings of awe and wonder, it’s important to remember that the romanticized view of nature often obscured the harsh realities of life for many people during that period.