William Frederick Ritschel born in Bavaria in 1864 and died in 1949. Many of his paintings were painted in California.
There is a school-of-thought that believes that attraction to certain kinds of landscapes are hardwired into the human DNA. The thinking is that some landscapes (like open savannas) are more favorable to child survival and fertility and we are drawn to those places. Other landscapes (like flat, short-grass prairies) are less favorable to child survival and fertility and we are repelled by them.
If this is true, then most humans would find images of the sea, tidal pools and flats, sunny bays fed by river with cobbled banks with alternating rapids and pools, a mix of upland-meadows lined with berry-bushes and forests to be attractive. Those features should be scaled so that each resource can be accessed within an hours walk...say a radius of 3 miles.
And, in general, I find those kinds of images (plus cozy, European "small-holdings") to be attractive. I don't have to know if it is hard-wired into my DNA or if it is a cultural thing that I absorbed.
 |
| Kelp gatherer |
Available safe water, food and fuel encourages human habitation.
ReplyDeleteEven today arid alkaline areas are scarcely inhabited.
Michael
And yes survival is hardwired into our preferred areas.
Thomas Jefferson idea of a wealthy country. Woody
ReplyDeleteThanks ERJ. I like the muted colours.
ReplyDeleteBeats a banana and duct tape
ReplyDelete