'Vue de la caverne de Saint Beat' 18th century

Charles Melchior Descourtis made this aquatint, "Vue de la caverne de Saint Beat," sometime in the late 18th or early 19th century. It reflects the growing interest in the natural world and the sublime, particularly amongst the educated elite. Produced in France, this image evokes a specific kind of experience sought after by the leisure classes. We see figures dwarfed by the immensity of the cave and surrounding landscape, a visual trope which was very fashionable at this time. The picturesque style flattens the topography and idealises the ruggedness of the mountain into something easily digestible, something we can hang on our walls and comfortably contemplate. The printmaking medium itself speaks to a desire to reproduce and distribute these images, making them accessible to a wider audience, thus shaping and directing the culture of the late 18th century. To fully understand the social context of such an image, a historian would consult travel guides, landscape theory, and the writings of the artistic establishment. The image shows us the relationship of art to its social moment.