Gezicht op Lorch 1852 - 1906

Emilie Rolin-Jacquemijns created this delicate etching, titled 'Gezicht op Lorch', sometime in the late 19th century. It presents a distant view of the German town of Lorch, nestled on the Rhine River, its silhouette defined by the vineyards climbing steep slopes and crowned by the gothic steeple of a church. This image speaks to the era's burgeoning tourist industry and the picturesque movement, where the sublime qualities of nature were celebrated. The work’s small size and the etching technique suggest its likely function as a souvenir print, catering to middle-class travelers eager to capture and commemorate their experiences. It invites reflection on the democratizing effects of tourism, as art production began to cater for consumption beyond the traditional elite. To fully understand this image, one might explore 19th-century travel guides, landscape painting traditions, and the broader socio-economic factors driving the rise of tourism. These avenues of enquiry help us contextualize its artistic decisions, revealing how art responded to the social conditions of its time.