Waterpomp met trappen after 1724

This etching of a water pump with steps was made by Georg Lichtensteger, an artist working in the Holy Roman Empire in the 18th Century. The setting for this drawing is a formal garden. The pump itself is ornamented with baroque flourishes. This image reflects the values of the aristocratic class and the prevailing fashion for elaborate garden design. Formal gardens became a way for landowners to display their wealth and status, by transforming nature into ordered, symmetrical designs. Water became a key element, with fountains and water features demonstrating control over natural resources and a mastery of engineering. Historians can study objects like this to understand the cultural values of past societies. Primary sources like garden design plans, estate inventories, and household accounts, alongside printed images, can help us understand how people lived and what they considered beautiful or important. Art like this is contingent on the conditions of its production and reception.