Blick durch den Wald auf eine Kirche an einem Bergsee 

Anton Radl made this pencil drawing of a forest scene with a church and lake, likely in Germany, around the turn of the 19th century. It reflects the Romantic era's fascination with nature and the sublime. The placement of the church within the landscape creates a sense of harmony between the natural and the spiritual realms, which was typical of Romanticism. But, it also presents an interesting institutional question: what is the role of the church in this society? In the wake of the Enlightenment, traditional religious institutions were in decline, but this drawing seems to suggest that there was still a place for spirituality. Historical archives would tell us how landscapes were conceived at the time and how institutions like the church played a role in this. The meaning of this artwork is contingent on its historical and institutional context.