Landscape with River, Trees, and Mountainous Horizon c. 19th century

Editor: This landscape scene, made by Alexandre Calame, depicts a river flowing through a forest towards mountainous terrain. It appears to be a print. What can you tell me about this work? Curator: This print offers a glimpse into 19th-century artistic production. Consider the materiality of the print itself – the paper, the ink, the tools used to create the matrix. How did these industrial means of reproduction impact the accessibility and consumption of landscape imagery? Editor: That’s an interesting perspective. I’m used to thinking about artistic intention, rather than production. Curator: Exactly. By focusing on the means of production, we can analyze how Calame’s landscape circulated within a broader network of commodity culture and shaped the viewer’s understanding of nature itself. Editor: I never thought about landscape art that way. It gives the image a whole new context!