Mill in Wertheim
1839
Step back to a summer day in 1839 with this charming sketch by Fritz Bamberger. He’s captured a rustic water mill in Wertheim, Germany, focusing on the massive wooden wheel that powers the building next to a traditional half-timbered house. The loose, energetic lines give it the feel of a quick study done on-site, perhaps sitting right by the rushing water. It’s a perfect slice of Romanticism, a movement that loved to celebrate nature and old-fashioned rural life just as the Industrial Revolution was starting to change the world forever. You can even see the artist's date scribbled at the bottom, freezing this moment in time.