Landschap met drie mensen op de voorgrond 1765 - 1825

This landscape with three people in the foreground was made by Christoph Heinrich Kniep sometime between the late 18th and early 19th century. Looking at this work, we can consider how it creates meaning through visual codes and cultural references. The clothing of the figures implies that they were likely working class and perhaps involved in agriculture or animal husbandry. The scene is set in Italy and evokes a sense of pastoral tranquility. Kniep was originally from Hildesheim, Germany, but spent much of his life in Italy where he worked as a draughtsman, and we can see this biography reflected in the subject of the artwork. As historians, we can use sources such as letters, travel journals and other artworks from the period to better understand the meaning and significance of this landscape. The interpretation of art is contingent on social and institutional context, and our understanding of Kniep’s landscape deepens when we consider its relation to a network of cultural, economic and historical forces.