Blick Über Bad Rohitsch-Sauerbrunn in Der Steiermark, Badeanlagen Vom Ferdinandshügel Aus Gesehen 1848

Johann Nepomuk Passini created this watercolor, "View Over Bad Rohitsch-Sauerbrunn in Styria, Bathing Facilities Seen from Ferdinandshügel," in the 19th century. It presents a picturesque vista of a spa town nestled in the Austrian countryside. The image speaks to the burgeoning culture of leisure and health in 19th-century Europe, where mineral springs and bathing resorts became fashionable destinations for the upper classes. These spas were not merely places for physical rejuvenation but also sites of social exchange and display, reflecting a growing emphasis on personal well-being and refined social conduct. Passini's choice of perspective, looking down from Ferdinandshügel, offers a controlled and ordered view of the town, reinforcing the idea of a cultivated and civilized landscape. Historians can consult social and economic records to better understand the rise of spa culture and its connection to broader transformations in European society.