Ein Mann und ein Kind auf einem Weg unter Bäumen 

Franz Kobell created this ink drawing of a man and child on a path under trees at an unknown date. Kobell lived during the Enlightenment, a period characterized by its emphasis on reason and individualism, as well as the emergence of Romanticism, which prioritized emotion and the sublimity of nature. Kobell was a landscape artist; here the figures of the man and child feel incidental to the scenery. Their identities are secondary to the universal experience of walking in nature. This brings up the role of children within the family unit during this era. Were they seen and not heard? Were they regarded as miniature adults? Looking at this tranquil scene evokes a sense of nostalgia for a simpler time, but it also prompts us to reflect on the changing roles and perceptions of childhood.