Berglandschap met dal before 1890

Editor: This drawing, "Berglandschap met dal" or "Mountain landscape with valley", made before 1890 by Eugène Cicéri using graphite, really gives me a sense of dramatic scale and distance, despite being monochrome. How do you interpret this work, especially from a formalist perspective? Curator: It is fascinating how Cicéri manipulates tonal value to create the illusion of depth. Note the very deliberate layering. Consider how the foreground's darker, more distinct details contrast sharply with the muted grays and blurred lines of the distant peak. Can you see how that enhances the monumental feel? Editor: Yes, I see it now. The meticulous cross-hatching in the foreground builds up a rich texture, almost tactile, and our eyes are then swept upwards, into an increasingly hazy and indistinct upper register, further accentuating the remoteness of that summit. Is there perhaps a philosophical aspect in that opposition, in the clear versus the indistinct? Curator: Indeed. Semiotically, one might see the clarity of the foreground as representing human comprehension, contrasted against the sublime obscurity of nature's vastness. It encourages contemplation of human versus natural space. Editor: It is like the solid reality versus limitless possibility. I never thought I'd see that by looking just at lines and shades! Curator: Precisely! Focusing on those compositional elements opens up avenues for much deeper analysis and philosophical introspection. I've thoroughly enjoyed looking at this today, thank you. Editor: Absolutely, me too! It certainly changed my understanding.