Group of trees 

This is a drawing of a group of trees by Friedrich Nerly, now in the Städel Museum collection. Nerly was a German painter living in Italy, and this sketch is probably a preparatory study for a larger painting. During the nineteenth century, the genre of landscape painting became very popular, partly because of the rise of Romanticism, with its emphasis on the beauty and sublimity of nature. But another reason for its popularity was the development of institutions like the art academy and the public museum. As artists sought new ways to make a name for themselves, they turned to landscape as a subject worthy of serious attention. This drawing represents one small step in that process. The social history of art encourages us to ask questions about the way art is produced and consumed. What role did the academy play in Nerly's artistic training? How did the market for art influence his choice of subject matter? And what can we learn from archival sources about the reception of his work by critics and collectors?