Schlemen 1813

Editor: This is "Schlemen" by Johann Philipp Wilhelm Lenz, housed here at Harvard Art Museums. It feels like a snapshot of rural life, so simple and unaffected. What strikes you when you look at it? Curator: Well, it's important to recognize how landscapes like this were being presented and consumed at the time. Etchings like this one provided access to places that many couldn't visit, shaping perceptions of rural idylls. The "Schlemen" title itself becomes a marketing tool, doesn't it? Editor: So, it's not just a picture, but a carefully constructed idea of a place? Curator: Precisely. It's fascinating how art plays a role in constructing our understanding of different places and cultures, even today.