Landscape with church village 

Max Mayrshofer made this landscape with church village using pencil on paper, yet its date is unknown. The image invites us to consider the relationship between the natural landscape and human settlement in Germany. Mayrshofer was born in Bavaria, in the south of the country, and in this sketch we see a traditional village dominated by the spire of a church, a visual reminder of the power that religious institutions held over daily life. What this image doesn’t show us, however, is any sign of modernity. The industrial revolution had transformed Germany, with its manufacturing industries concentrated in urban centers. The institutions of art were also changing rapidly at this time. The old academy system, with its emphasis on history painting, was coming under pressure from artists wanting to represent modern life. Historians of art can help us understand the meaning of this drawing by studying German history and culture. By researching the geography, religion, and social structures of Bavaria we can better understand the world that Mayrshofer sought to capture. Ultimately, art is contingent on social and institutional context.