The Road Crossing Mount Praco, from Ricci to Genoa c. 1764

Franz Edmund Weirotter created this etching, "The Road Crossing Mount Praco, from Ricci to Genoa," a landscape capturing a scene of travelers in the Italian Alps. Born in Austria, Weirotter’s artistic journey took him across Europe during a time of significant cultural exchange and the rise of the Grand Tour, where aristocrats traveled to experience the art and culture of the continent. The figures in "The Road Crossing Mount Praco" become stand-ins for this experience, dwarfed by the scale of nature. This dynamic plays with the visual trope of the sublime, which often positions man against the immensity of the natural world. The work is charged with the emotions of exploration and vulnerability. What does it mean to be a traveler, to cross borders, and how does the act of travel shape our understanding of ourselves and the world? The image prompts us to reflect on our own journeys, both literal and metaphorical, and the paths we navigate in search of understanding and connection.