Group of trees 

Peter Becker made this pencil sketch, Group of Trees, sometime in the 19th century. We might see this image as a simple study of nature, but landscape art developed in tandem with the rise of scientific naturalism. As artists like Becker turned to nature, they were participating in a broader cultural movement. The institutions of art – academies and museums – validated certain approaches to landscape. In Germany, landscape painting became closely tied to notions of national identity and Romanticism. Artists sought to capture the sublime power and beauty of the natural world, reflecting a spiritual connection to the land. This contrasts with the rationalized, geometrical landscapes favored in other European countries. To understand Becker's work more fully, we might consult exhibition catalogs and period writings on art, exploring how landscape was understood and valued in its specific cultural moment. By doing so, we can appreciate art's historical contingency.