Gezicht op de Eiger, gezien vanaf de Wengernalp c. 1860 - 1880

Curator: What a striking composition. This photograph, entitled "Gezicht op de Eiger, gezien vanaf de Wengernalp," was taken by E. Savioz, sometime between 1860 and 1880. It's a gelatin silver print. Editor: It has a kind of quiet grandeur, don’t you think? Those mountains towering over what looks like… a very humble dwelling. Almost makes me want to write a haiku. Curator: The juxtaposition is quite deliberate, highlighting both the sublime power of nature and humanity's attempt to coexist with it. Consider the material reality: silver gelatin printing allowed for mass reproduction, enabling wider consumption of such idealized landscape imagery. This democratization shifted landscape photography from purely scientific document to a popular form of leisure and tourism. Editor: Right, seeing it accessible to more eyes alters the consumption and shifts the focus from a pure objective document, into maybe selling a romantic idea. Looking at the texture of the print itself, I can almost feel the cool air of the mountains. Those roof tiles look worn by time, weathered by who-knows-how-many storms. You know? It gives it depth, something almost tangible. I wonder about the people who lived there…what their daily lives were like against such an imposing backdrop. Curator: It's important to remember that photography at this time, though pioneering in terms of image production, also depended upon very specific industrial processes and economic relationships. Silver mining, chemical production, the infrastructure to disseminate these images... the mountains present one face, the economy another. Editor: Yes but I wonder how did that one person managed to afford his suit or, whether he took his best clothes to represent who they really are, in order to counter balance a world of rough work. They look so alone against the sheer scale. It's both beautiful and… a little isolating. Curator: Perhaps that tension is what makes this image so enduring. It's not just a scenic vista; it's a snapshot of a specific moment in the industrialized world. Editor: For me, the enduring aspect, rather than how much did a suite cost back in the days is in the simple story, one where one tiny figure confronts this overwhelming sense of belonging and unbelonging. A timeless feeling, regardless the cost of silver!