Gezicht op de Mönch en de Jungrau in de Berner Alpen 1870s - 1880s

Arthur Gabler captured this photograph of the Mönch and Jungfrau mountains in the Bernese Alps, though the exact date remains unknown. During Gabler’s lifetime, the late 19th and early 20th centuries, mountain landscapes were potent symbols of national identity and romantic ideals. The Mönch, meaning monk, and the Jungfrau, meaning virgin, are personified through naming, reflecting a cultural tendency to project human characteristics onto nature. These peaks, stoic and serene, rise above the landscape, seemingly untouched by the concerns of the world below. However, even in this seemingly timeless scene, elements of human intervention and the burgeoning tourist industry can be seen at the foot of the mountains. This tension between untouched nature and human encroachment speaks to broader questions about our relationship with the natural world and the impact of our presence on these landscapes. The photograph invites a reflection on how we perceive and interact with the environment, and how we assign meaning and value to our natural world.