Livius, Book XXI, Chapter 33, from the portfolio "Hannibal's March over the Alps" c. 19th century

Editor: Here we have Alfred Rethel's "Livius, Book XXI, Chapter 33, from the portfolio 'Hannibal's March over the Alps.'" It looks to be a print of some kind. The scene feels so heavy, so burdened. What do you see in this piece that I might be missing? Curator: Heavy is right. Look how Rethel uses dense lines to convey not just texture, but the sheer exhaustion of Hannibal's troops. The light struggles to penetrate, doesn't it? It's as if the very air is thick with despair. Do you see how the sleeping figures are almost swallowed by the landscape? Editor: Yes, it’s like the Alps themselves are crushing them. I hadn’t thought about how the light emphasizes that feeling. Curator: Exactly! It's not just about historical accuracy, but about capturing the psychological toll of such an epic undertaking. It’s a landscape of the mind, really. Editor: I see it now – Rethel makes history resonate with human experience. Curator: Precisely. And that's what makes art so powerful, isn’t it?