Forest section with path 

Jakob Maurer created this forest scene with graphite and gray wash on paper. He was born in Switzerland during a time of great social and political change, not least in the relationship between people and nature. Here, the forest path acts as a motif of transition, but we might ask, transition to what? The 19th century saw the institutionalization of forestry as a science across Europe, and we can read this forest scene as a product of the emerging discipline of environmental management. This was also an era of growing urbanism and industrialization, which prompted artists to seek refuge in idealized natural landscapes. Was Maurer, through his art, reflecting or resisting these social trends? By consulting archives and historical documents, we can learn more about how Maurer’s art was both shaped by and contributed to the cultural conversations of his time. The meaning of art is always contingent on social and institutional context.