Gezicht op Lausanne 1817 - 1882

Curator: Before us we have "Gezicht op Lausanne", or "View of Lausanne", an engraving by Johann Gabriel Friedrich Poppel. The Rijksmuseum dates this piece from between 1817 and 1882. Editor: It feels so still, almost like a dream. It’s all in these muted grays, and the detail, it invites you in. I'm almost expecting a breeze to ruffle those tiny trees. Curator: Note how the artist uses perspective. Our eye is led carefully from the figures in the foreground, diligently working the land, across the green expanse of trees, toward the spired skyline of Lausanne itself, finally resting on the soft backdrop of the distant mountains. Editor: And it’s so delicate, isn’t it? All these minuscule lines creating depth, distance. It almost feels photographic, capturing not just the place but the precise quality of light. It reminds me of a faded postcard, something sentimental. Curator: Poppel manages to coalesce the essence of Romanticism with elements of Realism in this cityscape. The attention to detail evident throughout showcases a commitment to accurately depicting the landscape. Editor: Exactly! It's a romanticised reality, or a realistic romanticisation, perhaps? It has that inherent pull of idealized nostalgia. I feel like I am longing for a time or place I have never experienced but simultaneously recognising its tangible beauty. I find that interplay of light and shadow, too, makes the architecture seem so prominent and serene. Curator: I agree. There is indeed a certain wistfulness that pervades this image, a carefully orchestrated harmony of man, nature and the structures erected between. Editor: In many ways, that is the lasting effect, right? The quiet conversation that the print has started within ourselves? Poppel evokes in us that need for contemplation and awe. Curator: Quite so. It serves as an exemplary study in form and function converging within the landscape genre.