Cattle herders on the lakeside 1850

Heinrich Bürkel painted “Cattle herders on the lakeside” in the 19th century, a period characterized by a rise in national consciousness across Europe. The image seems to capture a timeless scene of rural life, but we might consider its role in shaping ideas about nationhood. Bürkel was a German artist, and this painting seems to idealize a distinctly Alpine landscape; a relatively untouched natural world. We can read this in relation to the burgeoning tourism industry and the romanticization of rural life. The art market played a crucial role at this time. As museums and galleries opened their doors to wider audiences, art became a key site for negotiating cultural values. Representations of peasant life like this one had the potential to evoke nostalgia for a simpler past, or promote conservative ideas about national identity. Historical analysis requires that we dig beneath the surface, and explore the social and cultural forces at play in its creation and reception.