From the minute we entered Switzerland and I looked out the train window, I was overwhelmed by the beauty of the rolling hills, lush greenery, and bright blue lakes. After being in two big cities, London and Paris, for the past two weeks, it was a much-needed break form the fast-moving pace of everyone. It was also nice because I felt less like a tourist and was able just to take in the calmness.
View from the second story window 
Fondation de I’Hermitage
Even just walking up to the museum there, there was a peacefulness. It was almost as if it was hidden back in a small forest and it was just you, the artwork, and nature. From one of the windows on the second floor, there was this picturesque view of the ground’s gardens followed by what appeared as if it could have been a castle or church and then leading to the lake with the mountains behind it. Much of the artwork in the museum was influenced by nature and the outdoors which made to whole space feel very cohesive and added to the ambiance.
It was very easy to understand why artists were so inspired by this country. Joseph Mallord William Turner and John Martin were two of these artists. They were both English artist who came to Switzerland because of the landscape and them took back with them the inspiration. Turner had a unique way of allowing the environment around him to influences his paintings, which was often criticized by others. Rather than painting from directly from nature, he made quick sketches of the area, which he then kept tucked away somewhere for several years before ever taking them out to start on them. This allowed him to later interpret then as oil paintings with a new perspective and understanding. Turner and Martin were also renowned for the light in their paintings that the way they used it to suggest to the viewer something much bigger and more powerful than themselves.
The Grand Tour of the 21st Century 