Sunset in Africa 

Werner Peiner made this landscape in Africa. The dramatic sunset and rocky terrain evoke a sense of untamed wilderness, yet this image was created by a German artist who had deep ties to the Nazi regime. How do we reconcile the romanticism of the scene with the artist's political affiliations? Peiner was part of a group of artists that idealized rural landscapes, rooted in an ideology of 'blood and soil' that promoted an exclusionary, nationalistic vision of identity. The image presents Africa as an empty landscape, ready to be claimed, ignoring the complex cultures and histories of the continent. Understanding the institutional and political context in which the artwork was produced allows us to see how the aesthetics of landscape painting can be enlisted in service of problematic ideologies. By researching the artist's biography and the cultural history of Nazi Germany, we can develop a deeper understanding of the politics of imagery.