Wirtsgarten mit sitzendem Paar 

This pencil drawing, "Wirtsgarten mit sitzendem Paar" by Anton Burger, captures a scene in what appears to be a German beer garden. The sketch seems to focus on the social act of relaxation and leisure within the German landscape. Burger's choice of subject and style is revealing. The beer garden, as a social institution, represents a specific kind of public space. The informality of the sketch, its quick, suggestive lines, echoes the unpretentious nature of this space. Made in a period of growing industrialization, it’s worth considering how the beer garden provided an alternative setting. We might ask: who frequented these spaces and what social functions did they serve? Archival material, such as photographs, city records and newspapers, could reveal a great deal about the role of beer gardens in 19th century German society. This artwork reminds us that art doesn't exist in a vacuum, it reflects and shapes the society it inhabits.