Gezicht op Campfer, de Silvaplanersee en de Piz Corvatsch 1873 - 1883

Curator: Here we have a gelatin-silver print from between 1873 and 1883 by Florentin Charnaux. The work, titled "Gezicht op Campfer, de Silvaplanersee en de Piz Corvatsch," offers a panoramic view of the Swiss landscape. Editor: It has such a tranquil quality. The muted tones and the way the town nestles so neatly into the landscape almost makes it seem like a fairy tale setting. I wonder, is it just a visual record? Curator: Well, these landscapes became quite popular amongst the emerging middle class. This view in particular, presenting the village alongside these incredible natural formations, speaks to both an appreciation of the sublime power of nature, but also humankind's place within it, perhaps a marker of social status. Editor: Sublimity, definitely! The mountain looming in the background contrasts with the almost idyllic town below. I also think of the journey, the pilgrimage almost, that people would take to find this view. The mountain has always held significant symbolic weight hasn't it, connoting something grander than ourselves. Curator: Absolutely, and we shouldn't forget the social context of photography at the time. The rise of tourism in the Swiss Alps really transformed places like Campfer. Photography was becoming a key tool to capture the splendor of the region. These photos then circulated widely, driving further interest. Editor: Did Charnaux consciously include visual motifs and allusions he expected his audience to know and decode? Those rooftops layered in the foreground could stand in for community; and notice how the angle pulls your eyes naturally to the mountain in the distance, an image that must have said "adventure awaits!" at that time. Curator: Certainly. These early landscape photographs helped define an idealised image of Switzerland that catered to the tourist gaze, showing them the beautiful mountain views. Of course, we also need to remember what these photographs might not be showing, namely the more complicated realities of life in these rapidly changing regions. Editor: So true. Considering its context, this piece presents us a carefully crafted experience, not just a view, a perspective shaped as much by industry and tourism as by nature itself. Curator: Indeed. It is interesting to see how photography played such an integral role in both shaping and marketing an imagined experience that the wider public could partake in, contributing to the area's commercial prosperity. Editor: Ultimately, for me, it's the visual symbols working in tandem with cultural narratives that gives this image enduring resonance.