Waterfall in the Bern Highlands 1796

Joseph Anton Koch created this painting of a waterfall in the Bern Highlands with oil on canvas. Here, the sublime force of nature dwarfs the lone figure, a shepherd, reminding us of humanity's small place within a vast world. This wasn't just about pretty scenery, it was made at a time when ideas about national identity were taking hold. Consider, for example, the establishment of the first museums. As institutions, museums played a crucial role in shaping cultural values and national narratives. The late 18th and early 19th centuries saw the rise of Romanticism. It pushed back against the Enlightenment's focus on reason, and instead emphasized emotion, individualism, and the beauty of the natural world. Koch's painting is deeply rooted in these ideas. To understand Koch’s work, we might explore the influence of writers like Rousseau, or look at how landscape painting became a vehicle for expressing national pride. Art is never made in a vacuum, it's always part of a bigger conversation.