Snow Scene in the Neela Pass c. 1867

Curator: Here we have Samuel Bourne's "Snow Scene in the Neela Pass," part of the Harvard Art Museums collection. Editor: Whoa, that's a lot of white! It feels like a silent, frozen cathedral, so vast it almost humbles you. Curator: Bourne made this photograph as part of his expeditions in the Himalayas, and his work helped shape perceptions of the region in the West. Note how he captures both the grandeur and the hostility of the landscape. Editor: It's like staring into eternity, but with a touch of the sublime. Those tiny figures on the ridge... talk about a sense of scale! Almost comical. Curator: Bourne used photography as a tool of documentation and exploration. He was celebrated, but also criticized, for romanticizing and exoticizing the East. Editor: Well, regardless of its baggage, I can't help but be mesmerized. It's stark, serene, and… well, a little terrifying, actually. Curator: A fitting summary, I think, of art that continues to spark important dialogues today.