Gezicht op Brunnen before 1898

This print offers us a glimpse of Brunnen, its composition dominated by the serene lake, flanked by the village and watched over by the mountains. Mountains, since antiquity, have been symbols of steadfastness, spiritual aspiration, and formidable challenges. Mountains appear in visual form and literary texts in the past, often imbued with sacred or mystical qualities, places of refuge, revelation, or transformation. As we see here, it is often associated with the sublime and a sense of awe and wonder. Think, for instance, of how the same symbol appears in Caspar David Friedrich's works, where a lone wanderer contemplates the sublime, untamed nature. Both reflect an emotional state, a psychological yearning for the infinite, engaging the viewer in a deep, subconscious dialogue. The symbol of the mountain thus evolves, resurfaces, and adapts, bearing new significance while retaining echoes of its ancient, enduring power.