The grounds of Toblach 1891

Louis Eysen made this pencil drawing called ‘The grounds of Toblach’ in 1891. The drawing captures a landscape in Toblach, a town in the Tyrol region, a place traversed by the intricate borders of empire and nation. Looking at this landscape, I wonder: whose land is it, who works it, and who profits from its yield? The Tyrol region, with its mountains and valleys, had long been a site of contestation and negotiation. Here, the natural beauty of the scene belies the complex social relations embedded within the land. The houses and fields suggest a settled, agricultural community, yet they also speak to questions of ownership and labor. The sketch evokes a sense of place that invites us to consider our relationship to the environment. The landscape is not just a backdrop, but is itself an active agent in shaping human experience. It’s a land marked by both beauty and historical weight.