The Via Mala 

Editor: Here we have "The Via Mala," a pencil drawing on paper by Johann Wilhelm Schirmer. I am immediately struck by the stark contrast between the delicate medium and the imposing, almost oppressive, grandeur of the landscape. What are your thoughts on this work? Curator: It’s interesting you pick up on that tension. Consider the romantic fascination with nature – but nature filtered through the industrializing gaze. Schirmer used commercially produced pencils and paper to depict a sublime scene, thus the labor involved is often overlooked. Does this capture the experience of confronting a raw and overwhelming nature, or a carefully constructed, mediated one shaped by emerging industrial technologies and distribution networks? Editor: So you're saying the mass production of materials actually influences our experience of the landscape itself? Curator: Exactly. Think about it: pencil drawing as a technique became increasingly popular and accessible as pencils became cheaper. Now, how does the accessibility of artistic materials change who can depict and consume images of the landscape? Who is this landscape *for*? Is this image made to promote access and exploration or is there a more elitist sentiment at play? Editor: That makes me consider the wooden bridge in the drawing – a sign of human intervention. It hints at both the accessibility and exploitation of this natural space. Curator: Precisely! The bridge wasn't forged from pure wilderness; it represents access for the everyday person—it would be important to consider those labouring on construction to have produced this and other such tourist points in similar landscapes.. We’re not just looking at a romantic vision of nature, but also how commerce facilitates and, inevitably, alters our relationship with it. Editor: I had not considered the social aspect. It highlights how artistic materials and techniques are inherently intertwined with broader socio-economic forces shaping landscape perception. Thank you, that really adds a layer of depth!