Fotoreproductie van (vermoedelijk) een tekening van een Alpenpanorama bij Rigi Kulm 1895 - 1905

Editor: This is a photo reproduction of what's thought to be a drawing, an "Alpenpanorama bij Rigi Kulm," created sometime between 1895 and 1905 by an anonymous artist. It’s currently housed in the Rijksmuseum. It feels like peering into a sepia-toned memory, distant and grand. What do you see when you look at it? Curator: Aha! You put your finger on it. The sepia tones definitely lend it that feeling, don't they? For me, this image sings of the allure of the Alps during the late 19th century – a golden age of travel, if you will. These grand hotels perched high above the lakes weren't just places to stay; they were symbols of status, aspiration and access to pristine landscapes. Does it make you want to pack your bags for a leisurely sketching tour, armed with pencils and pastels? Editor: Absolutely! There’s a real sense of adventure here. But it’s interesting, because it’s a reproduction *of* a drawing, so it's like a double remove from the actual experience. Curator: Precisely. The artist, removed from us by time, captured not just a literal view but also the feeling of being there, that Romantic yearning for the sublime. The photography adds another layer - the ambition of objective record against the softness of the sketch. Don't you wonder what was filtered *out*, which stories were not included? Editor: It's making me think about how tourism has shaped our view of the natural world and how these "untouched" landscapes were always mediated experiences, even back then. Curator: You have beautifully unravelled the essence. What was once presented as a pure and simple encounter with nature now shows a blend of industry and idealism, the artist, photograph, and tourist interwoven together like strands of time, capturing an epoch!