Rousseau-Insel (Original Title) 1866

Hermann Vogel's photograph, "Rousseau-Insel," captures a scene from Berlin's Tiergarten, likely in the late 19th century. This was a period marked by rapid urbanization and industrial growth, yet also a time when the burgeoning middle class sought refuge in nature. The Tiergarten, once a royal hunting ground, was transformed into a public park, embodying a desire to create spaces for leisure and reflection amidst the changing social landscape. Vogel’s choice to photograph the Rousseau-Insel, or Rousseau Island, speaks volumes. Naming it after Jean-Jacques Rousseau suggests an idealized vision of nature, a place untouched by modernity, echoing Rousseau’s own philosophy of returning to a more natural state. However, this carefully curated landscape also reflects the complex relationship between nature and culture, leisure and labor, and the societal ideals of the time. How do we balance this longing for a natural world with the realities of urban development and social inequality? The photograph invites us to consider these tensions, and to think about the ways we continue to seek solace and meaning in the natural world.