River landscape c. 1800 - 1806

Georg Melchior Kraus made this river landscape using watercolor and opaque paint on paper. A work like this shows the hand of the artist very directly. You see his skilled application of the medium, building up washes of color to create a believable, atmospheric scene. But think for a moment about the labor suggested in the painting itself. Look at the boats, each one carefully rendered to show the nature of its construction. These are not pleasure craft, but working boats - and the people who built and used them were no doubt working class people, dependent on the river for their livelihoods. The artist, in contrast, was a court painter. His life was easier than that of the boatmen, but still reliant on their labor. What Kraus has given us here is not just a pretty picture, but a glimpse into the social realities of his time.