Bellagio, aan het Comomeer 1824 - 1888

Karoly Lajos Libay made this image of Bellagio on Lake Como using lithography. Nineteenth-century landscape art needs to be understood in the context of a growing tourism industry and a market for scenic views of European beauty spots. The rise of printmaking, encouraged by institutions of art and design, meant that picturesque scenes, like this one, could be reproduced in large numbers and sold relatively cheaply. The presence of the church tells us about the significance of religion, but the emphasis on the landscape also speaks to the growing secularism of European culture. The composition invites the viewer to imagine their own leisure time in this idyllic setting, and perhaps purchase the print as a memento of their travels. Historians can shed light on the social functions of art by looking at travel guides, advertisements, and other historical documents. The meaning of art is always tied to its social and institutional context.