Stadtsilhouette vor einem Fluß (wohl Altstätten, Kanton St. Gallen, mit dem Rheintal) 

Johann Caspar Zehender, born in 1742, rendered this tranquil view of what is believed to be Altstätten in the Canton of St. Gallen, with the Rhine Valley using pen and gray ink and gray wash. During Zehender's lifetime, Switzerland was undergoing significant social and political changes, influenced by Enlightenment ideas and the rise of nationalism. Zehender's quiet landscape, devoid of human figures, could be interpreted as a reflection of the era's emphasis on reason, order, and the appreciation of nature as a source of spiritual and emotional sustenance. The work is characterized by its delicate rendering and tonal gradations. What does it mean to capture a place? Is it possible to distill the essence of a location in ink? Or is this a document of how the artist felt about a place, rather than a faithful representation? In its quiet way, the image invites reflection on our relationship with the environment.