View on Banks of River Ain 1774

Curator: This is Jean Jacques de Boissieu’s "View on Banks of River Ain," a print housed here at the Harvard Art Museums. I'm immediately drawn to the contrasting textures and light. It feels both idyllic and somber. Editor: The fishermen, dwarfed by the landscape, evoke a Romantic sensibility. The river becomes a mirror, reflecting not just the scene, but perhaps also deeper societal reflections of man’s place within the natural order. Boissieu, born in 1736, was working during times of political upheaval and change. Curator: Yes, and that building, perched precariously above the river...is that a signifier of power? Or vulnerability? Is it a symbol of societal anxieties and resilience? Editor: More personally, consider the enduring allure of fishing. Is it a connection to sustenance, leisure, or perhaps a symbolic representation of patience and hope? Its resonance hasn't faded over time. Curator: Looking at it this way lets us see that Boissieu’s work provides a lens through which to examine the very foundations of social structures. Editor: Agreed, I see in the image enduring symbols—water, trees, buildings—that retain their power across the ages.