Landscape Number 18 c. 19th century

Curator: Alexandre Calame, born in 1810, rendered this striking "Landscape Number 18," which is held in the Harvard Art Museums collection. Editor: The monochromatic palette and stark contrasts give it a dramatic, almost melancholic feel, don't you think? It speaks of the sublime. Curator: Sublimity, in landscape, certainly carried symbolic weight. Mountains often represented spiritual aspiration and the power of nature, didn't they? Editor: Yes, but I'm equally drawn to the texture of those rocks. The engraver's labour has replicated the feel of the rough surface, the geological processes are right there. Curator: Right, they are a powerful presence! Perhaps signifying permanence in the face of human transience. Editor: Perhaps. Though, I also see this as an example of image distribution through printmaking, the material production of landscape views accessible to a wider audience. Curator: It is fascinating how different lenses reveal such diverse facets within a single artwork. Editor: Indeed. This landscape provides a window onto nature, culture, and also labor and industry.