Neuenmuhr Castle 

Karl Ballenberger made this pencil drawing of Neuenmuhr Castle sometime in the first half of the 19th century. As a historical record, this image connects to a wider cultural interest in medieval ruins at the time. Romanticism, an artistic movement that originated in Europe in the late 1700s, had a profound effect on how artists like Ballenberger thought about landscape and history. Romantic painters believed that nature was a source of powerful and sublime experiences and that the ruins evoked a nostalgic yearning for a lost past. Note the arches and stonework, these were typical of castle architecture in Southern Germany. Ballenberger was likely sketching from life, a practice encouraged by the art academies of the day. However, he’s not just representing the castle but also idealizing it, removing any signs of modern life. To fully understand this drawing, we might turn to historical archives, travelogues, and architectural studies. Each of these resources provide important context.