Mount Holyoke 1987

Vija Celmins created this mezzotint, titled Mount Holyoke, in 1991. A seemingly simple image of a night sky, it nevertheless invokes profound depths of cultural memory. The stars themselves are ancient symbols of navigation, divine guidance, and the eternal unknown. In cultures across the globe, constellations have been mythologized and revered. We see their echoes in the Renaissance art of the celestial sphere, and further back, in Babylonian tablets mapping the heavens. Consider the psychological impact: the night sky inspires awe, a sense of insignificance, and simultaneously, a longing for connection to something larger. This mezzotint invites us to ponder our place in the cosmos, just as our ancestors did, proving that even in modern art, age-old symbols retain their emotional power.