Sextner Dolomiten, Die Drei Zinnen von Landro c. 1880

Editor: This is Vittorio Sella’s photograph, Sextner Dolomiten, Die Drei Zinnen von Landro, currently residing at the Harvard Art Museums. It’s a striking landscape; the mountains have a formidable, almost Gothic quality. What formal elements stand out to you? Curator: Note the interplay of light and shadow that defines form. The tonal range, from the bleached highlights to the deep blacks, articulates the sheer scale and depth. Observe how the composition leads the eye upward. Editor: The verticality is definitely pronounced. It almost feels… engineered? Curator: Precisely. The formal arrangement echoes the inherent structure of the mountains, a deliberate alignment. What is your takeaway from this? Editor: I see now how the arrangement of shapes and tones reinforces the monumentality of the natural forms. Curator: Indeed. And a reminder of the power inherent in formal choices.