The Via Mala 

John Frederick Lewis created "The Via Mala" using watercolor, and it presents a sublime landscape of imposing geological forms. The composition is dominated by towering cliffs that create a deep, vertiginous space, immediately evoking a sense of awe and perhaps even a little trepidation. Lewis masterfully uses washes of color to define the rugged textures and stark contrasts of light and shadow. The delicate balance between the detailed foreground and the hazy distance draws the eye, while the dramatic verticality challenges our sense of scale and proportion. This play with perspective destabilizes conventional landscape art, pushing us to confront nature's overwhelming power. The use of watercolor enhances the natural theme, giving the cliffs a fluid, almost ephemeral quality. Through this careful orchestration of form and color, the landscape is revealed not merely as a physical location but as a stage for the sublime.