Blick in den Chor einer dreischiffigen gotischen Kirche, im Vordergrund Figurengruppen in der Tracht des 17. Jahrhunderts 1780

Johann Ludwig Ernst Morgenstern created this view into the choir of a Gothic church, using pen and watercolor, likely in the late 18th or early 19th century. The figures in the foreground, dressed in 17th-century garb, prompt us to consider the dialogue between different eras. How might these people have felt in such an awe-inspiring space? How would the space affect their identity? Morgenstern was working at a time when Europe was reckoning with its past, and experiencing rapid social change. This drawing can be seen as part of a broader cultural interest in history, religion, and national identity. This interest manifested itself in idealized, sometimes romanticized visions of the past. The architecture is rendered with precision, yet the scene feels staged. There’s a theatrical quality to the composition, in the way that the figures are arranged, almost as if posing for a portrait within this grand setting. Consider the emotional and intellectual experience Morgenstern wished to convey: one that invites us to reflect on our own place in the continuum of time.