Near Mount Splügen 1781

Editor: This is Francis Towne’s "Near Mount Splügen," a watercolor and ink drawing. It feels so stark and elemental. What symbols or ideas do you see emerging from this landscape? Curator: The landscape itself becomes a symbol of the sublime, the awe-inspiring power of nature. Consider the towering rocks, dwarfing any human presence. They represent permanence. The rushing water, though, speaks to time's passage. Can you see how those contrasting elements play off each other? Editor: I think so. The rocks feel like a monument, and the water, a fleeting moment. It makes me think about being small in a big world. Curator: Precisely. And those trees, reaching upwards? They remind us of aspiration, connection to the heavens. Towne is using this vocabulary of forms to speak about something larger than just a view. Editor: So it’s not just a picture of a place, but a way of thinking about our place within it. Thanks, I see it now. Curator: My pleasure. A landscape can hold a universe of meaning.