Monte Rosa, Zermatt District c. 1885

Editor: Here we see Vittorio Sella’s photograph of Monte Rosa, taken in the Zermatt District. It's a striking image of a snow-covered mountain range. What’s most interesting to you about this piece? Curator: Mountain photography like this emerged alongside the Romantic movement and expanding tourism. Did Sella’s work reinforce the sublime power of nature, or did it also serve to document and almost tame these landscapes for a growing public audience? Editor: That's a fascinating point. I hadn't thought about the idea of "taming" nature through photography. Curator: Consider the context: increased accessibility to these landscapes due to railway construction. How does that change our perception of the artwork? Editor: It reframes it entirely. It is no longer just about the sublime but also about access and control. Thank you. Curator: Indeed. It shows how closely art is tied to the society it exists within.