View of the Valley of Trippstadt in the Pfalz

Carefully framed, this composition captures the picturesque character of a valley in Kobell's native Pfalz, a region of southwestern Germany.

The artist marveled at the majestic grandeur of a group of trees and the curious shapes of rocks overgrown by vegetation. Using black chalk with great mastery, Kobell depicted the varied surfaces and textures of the natural elements. He maintained that the genre of landscape was about creating ideal images rather than merely copying nature.

Digital image and text courtesy of the Getty's Open Content Program.