The Watzmann seen from the North-East, and Some Sketches of a Mountain; verso: Sketch of the Church of Sankt Bartholomä at the Königsee at the foot of the Watzmann Seen from the East 1820 - 1822

Editor: This is August Heinrich's "The Watzmann seen from the North-East," a watercolor and ink drawing from the early 1820s. It has a very tranquil, almost ethereal mood, don't you think? What do you see in this piece? Curator: I see the rise of Romanticism and its complex relationship with nature, and its societal implications. The sublime landscape became a stage for exploring the power and indifference of nature. Paintings like this captured the Watzmann not merely as a mountain, but as a symbol, reflecting cultural anxieties of industrialization. The focus on plein-air painting marks a desire to represent "truth." What audience did it serve and how does its display in The Met reinforce particular cultural narratives about landscape art? Editor: So, you're saying that it isn't just a pretty picture, but it is part of a larger conversation about how society viewed nature at the time? It is exhibited at The Met to provide a cultural snapshot for contemporary art viewers? Curator: Precisely! It shows nature's role in national identity. Were images like these deployed to cultivate patriotic sentiments or ideas about cultural heritage and even justify the ownership of land? Think about how access to landscapes was portrayed – or limited – in visual culture of the time. Was this image commissioned? Who could view it, originally? Editor: I see! The romanticism style highlights nature. However, it is also intertwined with socio-political and cultural ideas about patriotism, nationalism, and class at the time it was made. Curator: Exactly. So much more than pretty landscape! Examining it critically makes it relevant for today. Editor: This reframes my perspective entirely. I will certainly never see it just as a mountain landscape!