High Pointed Rock c. 18th century

Curator: Wow, that's moody. It feels so vast, yet somehow intimate at the same time. Editor: This is Ferdinand Kobell's "High Pointed Rock", now residing at the Harvard Art Museums. Kobell, born in 1740, really captured something special here. Curator: Absolutely! The way he uses light and shadow… it’s like a stage set. Almost theatrical, wouldn't you agree? Editor: The sublime was trending at the time, and prints like these brought awe-inspiring landscapes to a wider audience. It's a very public emotion, almost a national one. Curator: I see it as more personal. The figures seem so small, dwarfed by nature, making me feel strangely solitary. Editor: Perhaps. It does capture a certain feeling of romantic isolation against the backdrop of the wider world. Curator: Exactly! I think I see a bit of myself in those lone travelers. Editor: Kobell encourages us to find our place within this grand, historical landscape. Curator: And isn’t that what art is all about? Finding ourselves, one way or another?