Gezicht op Gudvangen before 1899

This photograph of Gudvangen in Norway, captured by Alfred Brothers, presents us with a dramatic interplay between nature and culture. Dominating the scene are the towering mountains, their forms reminiscent of classical depictions of the sublime, evoking feelings of awe and the insignificance of man. In contrast, we have the small village nestled at their base, representing human civilization's attempt to coexist with an overwhelming natural force. The recurring motif of mountains appears across cultures—from the sacred Mount Olympus in Greek mythology to the mountains in Chinese landscape painting—symbolizing spiritual ascent, divine presence, or the immutable forces of nature. These motifs, like dreams, surface across time, shaped by collective memory and cultural anxieties about nature's unpredictable power. The mountains are the eternal backdrop of our human drama, reminding us of the power of nature and the ephemerality of our existence.