Raging River 

Hermann Ottomar Herzog created this landscape painting with oil on canvas, but we don’t have the date. The Romantic movement valued emotions and the awesome power of nature. Across Europe and the United States, many artists sought to capture the sublimity of wild landscapes, which were connected to ideas of national identity and pride. Looking at this image, we see a steep, craggy ravine overflowing with fast-flowing water. The trees and bushes along the sides suggest an untamed wilderness. Herzog was born in Germany, but became well known for his paintings of the American West. What visual cues mark the painting as specifically European or American? What artistic license has Herzog taken? Did he visit this landscape in person or create it in his studio? Art historians will need to examine Herzog’s biography, travel patterns, and connections to particular patrons and institutions, such as museums and academies, to better understand the social context that influenced this painting.