Serra della Concasse, Valle del Bove of Mt. Etna, Sicily c. 1892

Editor: This stark photograph, Serra della Concasse, Valle del Bove of Mt. Etna, Sicily, by Vittorio Sella, really captures the raw power of nature. What strikes me is the scale, that vast emptiness. What symbolic weight do you see in this landscape? Curator: The starkness is key. The absence of color emphasizes form, almost like an allegorical drawing. Mountains often represent endurance, timelessness, and spiritual challenge. But here, the volcanic landscape also carries a potent symbolism of destruction and rebirth, a cycle humanity has long witnessed and feared. Does the lack of human presence alter your sense of the landscape? Editor: Absolutely. It feels almost post-apocalyptic, yet also timeless. Thanks, that's given me a lot to consider about how we project meaning onto landscapes.