Roden Thor, Germany 1876

Andrew Fisher Bunner made this drawing of Roden Thor in Germany using graphite and ink. Bunner’s choice to depict a medieval gate in a small German town speaks to the late 19th century's fascination with the past. Romanticism encouraged artists to look back to pre-industrial times for inspiration. The Roden Thor gate becomes a symbol of a simpler, more authentic time. Artists like Bunner were looking for an alternative to the rapidly changing modern world. Bunner was trained in both the US and in Europe and would have been familiar with both academic and more modern styles of artmaking. However, it is clear that the image looks back to the past. Historians use sources such as letters, diaries, and travelogues to better understand how the art and architecture of the past was perceived and how the public role of art shifted over time.