Luz 

Maxime Lalanne made this print of Luz, likely in the mid-19th century, using etching or a similar intaglio process. Here, the artist depicts a specific location, but the image also reflects wider cultural trends. During the 1800s, there was a boom in landscape art in Europe alongside the development of tourism and the railway. Artists like Lalanne catered to a market of middle-class consumers eager to collect picturesque views of faraway places. Lalanne’s print capitalizes on this desire, depicting the town of Luz nestled in the Pyrenees Mountains. The dramatic peaks and valleys evoke the sublime, a popular aesthetic ideal at the time. However, the print also domesticates the scene, rendering it in a precise and detailed style accessible to a broad audience. By studying travel guides, exhibition records, and other printed matter, we can better understand the social function of images like this one in the 19th century.