Forests and Mountains, Number 13 c. 19th century

Curator: Alexandre Calame's "Forests and Mountains, Number 13" presents a lithographic landscape. The strong contrast between the dark foreground and the pale, misty distance immediately creates a sense of depth. Editor: The Romanticism in this piece seems to yearn for a simpler time, a return to nature—but I wonder, whose nature is this? Who has access to this idyllic scene, and who is excluded? Curator: Calame's use of lithography allows for such detailed rendering of texture, especially in the gnarled branches of the tree and the rough-hewn logs. I see an emphasis on the sublime power of nature itself. Editor: But beyond that formal appreciation, consider how landscape art often served to legitimize land ownership and colonial narratives. The figures here are small, almost incidental. They’re merely picturesque elements, not active agents shaping the land. Curator: Perhaps, but the composition leads the eye beyond them, to the formal relationships between the various elements that converge around the center in dynamic but balanced forms. Editor: And yet, that very balance hides the social and political tensions inherent in any representation of land and belonging. Curator: I see the enduring power of the sublime, the technical brilliance of Calame’s execution. Editor: I can't ignore the broader contexts in which these images circulate, shaping our understanding of nature, power, and privilege.