Cascata Delle Marmore 1895

Editor: This is Giuseppe Barberis' "Cascata Delle Marmore," an etching and graphite print from 1895. It really gives me a feeling of dramatic scale and also intricate detail. What do you see in this piece that I might be missing? Curator: Oh, this makes me want to put on my walking boots! The way Barberis captures the cascade... it's almost symphonic, isn't it? Can't you just *hear* the water crashing down? What’s interesting is that he presents this immense power with such delicacy – look at those wispy lines he uses for the falls. It reminds me of romantic notions of nature: beautiful, terrifying, and sublime all at once. Does it evoke that in you? Editor: Absolutely. I guess I’m just fascinated by how he creates such a sense of depth using just black and white. It’s almost photographic. Curator: Exactly! There’s something quite modern about that. Yet, at the same time, this is 1895. The printing process allows him to recreate and sell his art…almost like an early photograph for mass distribution, allowing everyday people access to spectacular views like this one! Almost like a 19th-century postcard, but far more lovely, wouldn't you agree? Editor: Definitely more lovely. Thinking about it that way gives me a new perspective on landscape art in general, it almost becomes democratized by these art production advances. I’m gonna look at prints in a whole new way now. Curator: Me too! It is just so amazing when the personal touches and expressive qualities, captured in graphite and etching, let a new interpretation of this landscape gush out. It truly shows its worth, don’t you agree?