Mer de Glace seen from Montenvers, Chamonix c. 1850s

Editor: This photograph by Adolphe Braun, “Mer de Glace seen from Montenvers, Chamonix,” gives such a stark and dramatic view. The glacier feels immense and almost otherworldly. What do you see in this piece that perhaps I'm missing? Curator: Ah, it's a grand stage, isn't it? For me, it's about time… geological time, of course. Braun captures the majesty but also the sheer, slow violence of nature. I think of glaciers as these colossal rivers of ice grinding away at the earth. Does it make you think about our fleeting existence? Editor: Absolutely! That contrast between our short lives and the glacier's journey is really powerful. I hadn’t considered the 'violence' element, but now I see it in the textures of the ice. Curator: It's a beautiful paradox: something so pristine can also be so destructive. I wonder, what will future generations make of this image, if the glacier is gone?