View of Tetschen c. 19th century

Editor: This is Adrian Ludwig Richter's "View of Tetschen." It's a detailed pencil drawing from the 19th century. I'm struck by how this landscape seems to capture a specific moment of industry and labour. What do you see in this piece beyond the idyllic setting? Curator: I see a portrait of labour and social hierarchy embedded within the picturesque landscape. The figures working near the boats – who are they? What class do they belong to? Richter presents an opportunity to interrogate how labour and landscape aesthetics intersect. How does his portrayal reflect or challenge the dominant narratives of 19th-century industrialization? Editor: So, it’s not just a pretty view, but a commentary on society? Curator: Precisely. It makes us question whose stories are being told and whose are being erased in these seemingly innocent landscape depictions. Editor: I'll never look at a landscape the same way again!