Vignet. Sneklædte bjerge 1870 - 1890

Curator: Here we have a lithograph from somewhere between 1870 and 1890; it’s entitled "Vignet. Sneklædte bjerge" which translates to "Vignette. Snow-covered Mountains." It is housed here at the SMK, Statens Museum for Kunst. It appears to be graphite on paper. Editor: It feels so contained, like a dreamscape viewed through a letterbox. The monochrome adds a stark drama, that sharp contrast pulls me right into those peaks. Curator: Right? The composition is almost panoramic despite the vignette form. The artist, who remains anonymous to us, has captured the immensity of the mountain range. I mean, they were likely inspired by the rise of alpinism, or romanticizing landscapes, finding the sublime in nature, but on a very domestic, digestible scale. Editor: Precisely, digestible. Like the wilderness tailored for a drawing room wall. I see a commentary on access and privilege here, framing the wild for a certain gaze. Consider how landscapes throughout colonialism have served to mark territory and facilitate its domination. Curator: A valid point. Yet, the drawing style also speaks of patience. It's incredibly detailed, almost lovingly rendered, to me. I’m drawn to this intimate perspective they give on something that could otherwise overwhelm us, those towering ranges… Editor: That’s undeniable; there is undeniable talent in it. But perhaps it makes me want to disrupt these contained frames and ask who and what this "sublime" really excludes or overshadows. The focus of beauty has costs that we ignore often. Curator: I can appreciate the desire for disruption. I am looking now more into the monochrome style used here, rather than perhaps a colorful one, and how it serves to cast a serious mood to it. Maybe an intended form to instill specific reactions to these natural scenes, as you brought up. Editor: So we are back to context now, exactly, which gives more reasons to ponder these mountains now than what meets the immediate eye! Curator: Absolutely. The artwork is an open field of possibility! I am quite excited at our exchange now; mountains have never felt so rife with discussion.