Schwarzwaldhof, Einfahrt zur Tenne 

Otto Scholderer's pencil drawing captures a Black Forest farm, showing the entrance to the threshing floor. Scholderer, living in a rapidly industrializing 19th century, romanticized rural life in his work. The Black Forest, a region with its own unique cultural identity, became a symbol of German heritage. Scholderer's choice to depict the entrance to the barn frames labor and land through an idealized lens. The detailed thatch roof, for example, evokes the labor and skill needed to construct it. Consider the cultural associations with rural life at the time, which were often intertwined with notions of purity and tradition. These associations stood in contrast to the era’s increasing urbanization. Look at the image and consider the nostalgia it holds for a way of life that was quickly disappearing. In what ways does Scholderer's work invite us to reflect on our relationship with the land and our cultural heritage?