Zwei Männer bei einer Steinbank am Boden lagernd 

Gottlieb Welté made this watercolor of two men resting by a stone bench sometime in the late 18th century. It captures a moment of leisure, but tells us a good deal about the social world of its time. Welté was Swiss, but his career took him through Germany and the Netherlands, as well as his native country, and we can see here a distinctive Northern European sensibility. The dress of these men suggests that they belong to the middle or upper classes, taking time out from their business or travels. Are they landowners surveying their property or simply gentlemen enjoying the countryside? The image is of interest as it hints at the changing social roles and expectations of men in the late 1700s. The rise of the bourgeoisie saw new emphasis being placed on individuality and sensibility and, as such, art historians can look to fashion, travel, and leisure as a visual representation of historical change. To know more, one would want to research the artist's biography in the archives, or perhaps study similar works that show more about the life and work of men in this era.