Mt. Skhara, Central Caucasus c. 1889

Curator: Looking at Vittorio Sella's "Mt. Skhara, Central Caucasus," I'm struck by its stark, almost brutal beauty. It’s as if the world has been stripped bare, revealing its most fundamental elements. Editor: It's imposing, almost industrial. The way the glaciers are captured, like immense slabs of material waiting to be processed. I wonder about Sella's choices in printing; the tonality is almost metallic, don't you think? Curator: Exactly! It pulls you into the raw, untamed heart of the Caucasus. Sella wasn't just documenting; he was revealing a primal landscape, a place untouched by time. It resonates with a quiet reverence. Editor: I'm intrigued by the labour involved in capturing this image. The equipment, the transport, the sheer physical effort to document this environment… it all speaks to a Victorian-era ambition. Curator: Absolutely, and that ambition translated into these prints, almost artifacts now. A window into a world we can only imagine, a reminder of nature's enduring power. Editor: Right, and it reminds us how the very tools and social conditions shape what we perceive as "nature," a complex interplay we often overlook.