Gezicht op Frankfurt am Main 1892

Hans Thoma produced this etching of Frankfurt am Main sometime between the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The print depicts a serene view of the city from across the river Main, framed by trees. Thoma’s landscape presents a carefully constructed image of German identity. The artist was associated with a broader movement to define a specifically German artistic tradition, turning away from French influences and towards a romanticized vision of the German landscape and its people. This was a period of intense nationalism, particularly following the unification of Germany in 1871. Artists and intellectuals sought to create a sense of shared culture and history. Thoma's idyllic portrayal of Frankfurt, therefore, speaks to a desire for stability and rootedness in a rapidly changing world. Understanding art like this requires that we investigate the artist's biography, and the cultural debates of the time, often through archival research. Art is rarely made in a vacuum.