View of the Large Waterfall below the Schwanburger Alp Two Hours from Schwanburg 1681

Curator: Here we see Melchior Küsel's "View of the Large Waterfall below the Schwanburger Alp Two Hours from Schwanburg," held at the Harvard Art Museums. Editor: It's a rather busy composition, isn't it? The etching technique gives it a slightly chaotic, energetic feel. Curator: The print serves as a topographical record, situating the falls within a network of land ownership and perhaps even burgeoning tourism. Editor: I'm more drawn to the way Küsel translates the experience of this waterfall. The density of the lines suggests the dampness, the sheer volume of water and tangled overgrowth. Look at how the lines carve out the rock face. Curator: And how that translates into a cultural understanding of nature at the time – sublime, wild, but also something to be charted and possessed. Editor: Yes, the material rendering informs its social reading too. We have both a landscape and an artifact here. Curator: Indeed, seeing it through both lenses helps us appreciate the artwork's place in history. Editor: And understand the labor and intentionality that went into portraying this environment.