Gezicht op de Klosterstrasse in Berlijn met de toren van de Parochialkirche 1749 - 1808

Johann Georg Rosenberg made this print of the Klosterstrasse in Berlin, likely in the late 18th century. Here, Rosenberg represents the city as ordered and civil, its architecture conforming to a unified plan. Look at the way the artist emphasizes the tower of the Parochialkirche; it dominates the street and rises above the other buildings. Constructed in the late 17th century, the Parochialkirche represented the authority of the Prussian state and its established church. The architecture, and the way it is depicted here, speaks to the prevailing social structures of the time: hierarchical, orderly, and confident in its power. We see, then, the extent to which art is embedded in its social context. Examining city plans, church records, and other historical documents can all help us to understand the values and beliefs that shaped the creation and reception of this image.