Schönenberg 1903

Curator: Before us we have Hans Thoma’s, Schonenberg, a work found here at the Harvard Art Museums. Editor: Immediately, I'm drawn to how the landscape feels both grand and intimate; a gentle hush seems to fall over it. Curator: Thoma, born in 1839, often explored the relationship between the individual and the landscape, and here, the etching technique allows for a real textural quality. Editor: Yes, the cross-hatching gives the hills a wonderful tactile presence. It almost feels like you could run your hand across them. But I'm also fascinated by the figure in the foreground. Curator: The inclusion of figures deeply ties into the material conditions of rural life; it isn't merely idealized, but lived-in and worked. Editor: Indeed. There's a meditative quality to this piece, as if Thoma invites us into a moment of quiet contemplation, a chance to catch our breath amidst the vastness. Curator: Exactly, and considering Thoma's focus on rural subjects, we gain some insight into the way landscapes reflect working-class existence. Editor: It is truly a place where the land and the soul intertwine, don't you think? A landscape of labor, yes, but also of dreams.