In Montagna (In the Mountains) c. 1870

Edoardo Perotti made this small etching, In Montagna, which translates to "In the Mountains," sometime during his short life in 19th century Italy. Perotti's Italy was a place of great social change, deeply impacted by both the Enlightenment and the rise of Romanticism. Although seemingly straightforward, this landscape, rendered in delicate lines, is a product of its time. It reflects not just a physical space, but an emotional and intellectual one. Perotti captures a popular motif from Romanticism: the sublime experience of nature. The natural world is framed as an emotional mirror, reflecting the inner life of the viewer. But the image of two peasant women, perhaps mother and child, invite a reading concerned with the difficult economic realities faced by many Italians during this period. "In Montagna" seems to suggest a sense of hope and promise, even in the face of hardship. Perotti asks us to consider the power of place, and the complicated ways it shapes identity and experience.