Landschaft mit einer Villa, rechts vorne Winzer, links ein Hirte, der die Flöte bläst 

Julius Schnorr von Carolsfeld created this landscape drawing with a villa, complete with winemakers and a flute-playing shepherd, sometime between 1794 and 1872. Born in Germany, Schnorr von Carolsfeld lived during a time of immense social change, as industrialization began to take hold and traditional rural ways of life were gradually fading. Looking at this piece, one can’t help but notice the romanticized portrayal of labor. The peasants are seemingly content amidst the rolling hills that lead to a lavish villa, but the drawing glosses over the realities of rural life, the back-breaking work, and the rigid social hierarchies that defined the time. The woman carrying what looks like water over her head seems to be a traditional representation of women at the time. In this piece, Schnorr von Carolsfeld develops a narrative of the way he wished life was. This drawing then, becomes an interesting reflection on the societal shifts of the 19th century. It highlights our tendency to romanticize the past, even as we move headlong into an uncertain future.