Lake of Zug from Baar c. 18th century

Curator: Johann Heinrich Meyer, who lived from 1680 to 1752, created this piece, "Lake of Zug from Baar", which resides here at the Harvard Art Museums. Editor: It's breathtaking. The precision is incredible, but the sheer scale of the landscape almost feels overwhelming. Curator: Meyer’s work reflects a particular interest in the power structures inherent within landscape art. Consider the high vantage point, subtly asserting dominance. Editor: Do you see it as reinforcing hierarchies? I read it more as a document of place, filtered through the lens of its cultural moment. The labor of representation is visible. Curator: Perhaps both. The gaze is gendered, embedded in the colonial project of claiming territory. Editor: Seeing the detail and thinking of it within those frameworks definitely opens up new ways of approaching this piece.