Landscape with trees 

Franz Kobell made this landscape drawing using pen and brown ink. These were the tools of educated gentlemen in the 18th century. Note how the lines vary in thickness and density. The artist is using the simple means at his disposal to describe the natural world. The flow of ink across the page evokes the textures of bark, leaves, and water. It takes a practiced hand to use this kind of economy. The making of a drawing like this was part of a whole culture of observation and classification, a pursuit of knowledge that was enabled by the patronage of wealthy elites. The social and economic structures of the time shaped even the most apparently simple and direct encounter with nature. When you look at this drawing, you are seeing not only a landscape but the values of a bygone era.