Schweizisk prospekt 1767 - 1824

Frans Xaver Triner created this sepia artwork, "Schweizisk prospekt," offering us a glimpse into the Swiss landscape of his time. Triner was born in Switzerland at a time when Switzerland was undergoing significant political and social changes. This piece, made using sepia, is a reminder of the romanticism that was peaking during the late 18th and early 19th century, when idealized rural life was contrasted against urban life. It invites reflection on the romanticized views of nature that were often detached from the realities of rural life. In some ways this reminds me of what the author Bell Hooks said: "Beloved community is formed not by the eradication of difference but by its affirmation, by each of us claiming the identities and cultural legacies that shape who we are." In viewing this work we are given a window into both Switzerland and the romantic vision of it held by those in the eighteenth century. It encourages us to reflect on our own relationship with the world around us.