Forest with distant view 

Johann Wilhelm Schirmer made this watercolor image of a forest with a distant view. Though undated, it resonates with the German Romantic movement of the 19th century, which focused on the emotional power of nature, its sublimity, and the way it could inspire spiritual experience. Schirmer taught at the Düsseldorf Academy, an important institutional setting for art. How did this specific place shape Schirmer’s production? What were the politics of the Academy at the time? The cultural references here point to a renewed sense of national identity, and a search for an authentic German spirit, which was often projected onto landscapes. It also references the socio-political context through the call for unification and democratic reform. Was Schirmer progressive or conservative? Did he critique the institutions of art or defend them? As an art historian, I would ask these kinds of questions and look into the archives of the Düsseldorf Academy, and political pamphlets from the period.