Via Mala c. 1815

This print, *Via Mala*, was etched by Joseph Mallord William Turner. It presents a landscape dominated by vertical rock formations, rendered with delicate lines. The bridge, an engineered form, is dwarfed by the natural forms surrounding it. The print's composition invites us to consider the relationship between the man-made and the natural. Turner uses line to create texture and depth, suggesting the roughness of the rocks and the vastness of the landscape. The sparseness of detail in the sky contrasts with the detailed foreground, emphasizing the overwhelming scale of nature. Turner's work engages with ideas of the sublime, a concept that explores the awe and terror one feels in the face of nature's immensity. The bridge serves as a point of access, yet it is subsumed within the larger composition of geological forms. Turner challenges our understanding of space and perspective, offering a view that is not just visual but also deeply emotional and philosophical. This etching captures a moment of intense visual and intellectual engagement.