Landschaft mit zwei Bäumen am Wasser 

This landscape with two trees by the water was drawn by Johann Ludwig Ernst Morgenstern sometime in the late 18th or early 19th century. During this period in Europe the traditional aristocratic and social hierarchies were under immense pressure from the enlightenment and revolutionary movements. Looking at the drawing you can almost feel a sense of longing for a simpler life, as the artist captures an idyllic scene of nature untouched by industrialization. But nature itself can often be a harsh environment, life and death depend on an individual's ability to adapt. In this sense, what does this piece say about how we consider the concept of identity? The landscape becomes a stage upon which Morgenstern seems to be developing alternative narratives about our relationship to the natural world. This is not a picturesque scene but one that feels deeply personal.