Landscape 

Ludwig Metz’s pencil drawing presents us with a serene landscape. But this image also invites us to consider the relationship between nature and culture in 19th-century Germany. The image is a product of the Romantic era, where artists looked to nature as a source of spiritual and emotional renewal. The very act of sketching en plein air, or in the open air, became a common practice, reflecting a broader cultural shift towards valuing direct experience with the natural world. However, this idealization of nature was often intertwined with nationalist sentiments. Artists sought to capture the unique character of the German landscape. They promoted a sense of collective identity rooted in the land. Museums such as Städel played a crucial role in shaping artistic tastes and promoting specific notions of national identity. By studying Metz’s drawing, we can understand how the visual arts contributed to the construction of cultural values and national narratives. Analyzing period writings on art and national identity offers a way to enrich our understanding of this artwork.