Gefährliche Bilder

From the 16th to the 20th century, artists who traveled and drew or painted landscapes abroad were frequently suspected of being spies, particularly if they spent time in tense political situations in border regions, near fortresses, or the front lines of wars. More than 240 reports of such allegations have been preserved. Ulrike Boskamp shows how artists made use of these topical anecdotes at means of (self-)staging and what drawings were connected with suspicions of espionage. The sources simultaneously provide access to the military dimension of historical landscapes and their social geography, particularly with respect to how topographical image media were dealt with and their relevance for the military. Accusations of spying directed at artists are thus analyzed for the first time and at the interface between artistic and military use of pictures.