The Rhine achieved cult status in the 19th century. It inspired painters, poets and naturalists alike. The landscape on both sides of the river contained impressive rock formations, enchanting castles, deep valleys, and high mountains. Anton Dietzler painted the "View of Nassau" between 1820 and 1830. He depicts a harmonious, peaceful world set in a well-manicured landscape.

The exploration of the Rhine began in the 18th century. It was traveling Dutch artists who visited the Rhine to earn money. Amsterdam-based topographers sent them out to gather an accurate picture of the region. One of those artists was Herman Saftleven. He painted the topography accurately, but accentuated the motifs with Italian-style lighting und architecture.

The Middle Rhine was the main focus for the first tourists to the region. Countless nobles in the 18th century ventured out on a "Grand Tour" of the river. Many were familiar to the region, thanks to Baron Johann Isaac of Gerning. His travel reports described a Rhine cruise from Mainz to Köln, and it became a hit which was translated into English and Spanish.

Watercolor paintings by Christian Georg Schütz the Younger illustrate Gerning's famous travelogue. Schütz's landscapes were created at the beginning of the 18th century and aren't as emotional and agitated as those from the heyday of Romanticism. He put emphasis on the accurate depiction of nature and buildings. The castles along the Rhine play an important role in his works.

Christian Georg Schütz the Elder was commissioned to produce Rhine images mirroring the style of Dutchman Saftleven. In broader terms, the enthusiasm for the Rhine translated into an enthusiasm for nature. The painter from Frankfurt created a shimmering, sun-drenched backdrop of the romantic Rhine. The landscape appears close, warm and earthy.

In the Rheingau wine region, the village of Eltville lies right on the river. Even back in 1774, when Christian Georg Schütz the Elder painted this view, it had already become a popular tourist destination. The nobles who traveled to the Rhine could afford to commission atmospheric paintings. As demand for such souvenirs grew, Schütz expanded his workshop to include other family members.

Franz Schütz also belonged to the illustrious family of painters who earned a living by painting the Rhine. Schütz is considered a representative of the "Sturm und Drang" movement, paving the way for the Romanticists. In this work, he depicted the Rhine before an approaching thunderstorm. Geographic accuracy played a minor role in his work. One of his admirers was poet Johann Wolfgang von Goethe.

The Rhine was not only a place for the contemplation of nature, but also for its exploitation. In 1840 a sturgeon - the last of its kind - was pulled from the waters of the Rhine. It was three meters (10 feet) long and weighed 300 kilograms (660 pounds). The extinction of the species resulted from various factors - for one, the Rhine was straightened in 1810 and turned into a major waterway.

The Rhine appeals to both dreamers and documenters. A favorable climate exists especially in the Middle Rhine Valley between Bingen and Koblenz. As a result, the greatest biodiversity in Central Europe was located here. Many forests and rocky mountains were habitats that offered protection to animals. Starting in the 18th century, this diversity was documented and collected.

On the advice of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, the collector Johann Isaak von Gerning handed over his family's art and natural history collection to the Nassau residence in Wiesbaden. This formed the foundation of today's Museum Wiesbaden, which features art and nature artifacts of the Rhein from the 17th and 18th centuries.