Study of flowers 

Peter Becker made this pencil drawing, Study of Flowers, in Germany. Although titled Study of Flowers, it is a landscape where nature is understood as a site of beauty and contemplation. Made at a time when the industrial revolution was transforming the German landscape, artworks such as this are part of a much wider cultural response to the perceived alienation of modern life. The drawing offers an idealized vision of the natural world, untouched by industrialization. Such imagery can be seen in relation to broader social and political movements that sought to reclaim a sense of national identity through an idealized past. Historians explore these connections through written sources such as literature, philosophy, and political writings, alongside studies of artistic movements and institutions. By understanding the cultural context, we can appreciate this work not just as a landscape, but as a window into the values and anxieties of its time.