1895 - 1910
Gezicht op het Lauterbrunnenthal in Zwitserland
Anonymous
@anonymousLocation
RijksmuseumListen to curator's interpretation
Curatorial notes
This image of the Lauterbrunnenthal in Switzerland is a quiet study in greyscale, and may have been created with ink or graphite. The artist is unknown, and this adds to the image's mystery. The peaks in this piece are very suggestive of geological activity, especially in the way the artist renders the uneven surfaces of the mountain and the gentle waterfall. The tone is pretty subtle, it is almost like a drawing, and it reminds me that making art is a process of feeling your way through. The image has a lot of what I call "atmospheric perspective", like a J.M.W. Turner painting. The tone seems to vibrate slightly in the distance, which is a great trick. This piece shows how sometimes the best art is about asking questions, not giving answers.