Mountain Torrent in a Storm 1849

Editor: Here we have Alexandre Calame's "Mountain Torrent in a Storm," a dramatic landscape drawing at the Harvard Art Museums. The monochromatic color palette really emphasizes the raw power of nature. What do you see in this piece? Curator: Calame's romantic rendering speaks to the sublime, but consider the social context of landscape art in the 19th century. Who had access to these idealized visions of nature, and who was excluded? How does this representation potentially reinforce power structures? Editor: That's a great point. I hadn't considered the role of landscape art in reflecting social inequalities. Curator: Exactly. By questioning whose stories are being told, we can understand art as a reflection of broader social and political forces. Food for thought. Editor: Definitely. I will always remember to view artworks from different perspectives. Thanks.