View from Mt. Rosa, High Alps c. 1885

Curator: This is Vittorio Sella's photograph, "View from Mt. Rosa, High Alps," currently held at the Harvard Art Museums. Editor: Wow, it’s stark! All that snow, it feels like looking into the eye of winter itself. Curator: Sella was a pioneering mountain photographer. His work became iconic, influencing generations and even serving cartographic purposes. Editor: I can see why. The composition is striking: that dominating peak reaching for the sky. Makes you feel incredibly small. Almost makes you want to howl at the moon! Curator: It's interesting how Sella used photography to document and present landscapes that were largely inaccessible to most people at the time. Editor: It makes you think about how we perceive nature, how we try to capture its essence... It’s like a frozen moment of time, yet it evokes a sense of timelessness. Curator: Absolutely. Sella's work offers a unique perspective on the intersection of art, exploration, and the scientific gaze. Editor: Right, makes you question whether we're conquering these spaces or they're conquering us. Anyway, what a view, huh?