Axenstrasse, met op de achtergrond de Bristenstock c. 1900 - 1910

Editor: So this photograph, titled "Axenstrasse, met op de achtergrond de Bristenstock," was taken by the Gebrüder Wehrli, sometime between 1900 and 1910. It’s currently housed at the Rijksmuseum. Looking at it, I am struck by how this man-made road seems almost swallowed by the looming presence of nature; what are your initial thoughts? Curator: Oh, this photograph! It pulls you right into a sort of liminal space, doesn't it? That tunnel, almost mouth-like, against the serene backdrop... It feels like a threshold. Think about what roads meant at the turn of the century, especially in Switzerland – connection, progress, taming the wild! What do you make of the stark contrast between the rough-hewn rock and the smooth, almost inviting road surface? Editor: It definitely sets up a visual tension. The road, so clearly engineered, seems fragile against the weight and timelessness of the mountain. It feels very much of its time, though, in its almost documentary-style realism. Curator: Exactly! And there’s this dance between light and shadow... that tunnel inviting yet ominous, juxtaposed with the promise of the open landscape. I always wonder what kind of viewer the Wehrli brothers were trying to reach. Perhaps someone weary of the city? Or perhaps someone simply seeking an "authentic" encounter with the sublime? Look closely at the mountains in the background—can you sense how they are positioned relative to the road itself? Editor: I see what you mean! The mountain backdrop dwarfs everything else in the photo, including the road!   Curator: Precisely! It places humankind and their ambitions within a broader perspective... food for thought! And this little photography offered a very big perspective! Editor: I hadn’t considered the contrast between ambition and scale as pointedly, thanks!