The Tower Watchman
by STEINLE, Edward Jakob von, Oil on canvas, 139 x 68 cm
The man gazing longingly into the distance from a dizzying height expresses the spiritual need of the time. His outward gaze betrays his sadness, as he stands between the mourning bell above his head and the hope expressed by the swallow building its nest below his feet. He is as if caught between them, while the little Biedermeier town far below is sunk in dreams.