High Mountain Landscape with Rocks 18th-19th century

Curator: This is Franz Kobell's "High Mountain Landscape with Rocks." Notice the use of line. It’s quite economical, isn't it? Editor: Yes, the rapid strokes really capture a sense of ruggedness, almost struggle. What might this landscape represent, socially or politically, for viewers of the time? Curator: The materials are also humble: pen and brown ink on paper. It democratizes landscape art by making it accessible in terms of production. Editor: Absolutely. And that depiction of laborers making their way through it hints at the relationship between the land and the people who depend on it. Curator: I like how Kobell shows us the means through a simple execution. Editor: Indeed, it is a raw immediacy that invites us to consider this landscape through the lives of those who inhabit it. It’s more than just scenery.