Landschaft mit hohen Bäumen 

This landscape with tall trees was created by Franz Kobell, and is currently housed in the Städel Museum. The artwork's monochromatic palette, dominated by sepia tones, creates a subdued yet inviting atmosphere. Notice how the composition leads your eye from the foreground, with its detailed grass and winding path, to the cluster of tall trees. Kobell uses a variety of line weights and densities to model depth. The dense hatching in the trees contrasts with the lighter strokes in the background mountains. Kobell's emphasis on line work invites us to consider how the medium itself shapes our perception. The work is both representational and abstract. It destabilizes the traditional landscape genre by focusing on the materiality of the drawing itself, rather than creating an illusionistic window onto the world. The drawing’s success lies in how Kobell transforms a simple scene into an exploration of form, perception, and representation. It reminds us that art is not just about what we see, but how we see.