Thusis c. 18th century

Curator: This is a rendering of Thusis, an etching by Johann Heinrich Meyer who lived between 1680 and 1752. Editor: It feels like a dreamscape, with the sharp, scratchy lines somehow softening the formidable mountains. Curator: Meyer, born in Switzerland, captured the region with a clear, almost scientific eye, yet the human presence at the foreground hints at a deeper narrative. Editor: There’s such a casual intimacy in those figures lounging—like an invitation to relax into this impossible landscape. It feels almost radical to see everyday people taking up so much space. Curator: Indeed, it complicates the romanticized vision of nature, grounding it in the reality of lived experience and perhaps even suggesting the intertwined fates of humanity and nature. Editor: Maybe, but also there's something so timeless about it. Like this scene, this feeling, could be happening right now. Curator: A fitting interpretation, considering the ongoing conversations about environmentalism and place. Editor: So true, and the way those mountains tower feels both humbling and strangely comforting. It makes me wonder what stories those landscapes could tell.