Mt. Ushba, from Stougra, Central Caucasus c. 1889

Curator: This is Vittorio Sella's photographic print, "Mt. Ushba, from Stougra, Central Caucasus," housed here at the Harvard Art Museums. Editor: It strikes me as monumental—a stark, almost brutal landscape, yet undeniably beautiful in its scale and texture. Curator: Sella was renowned for his mountain photography. His images were more than documentation; they shaped European perceptions of these remote regions. Think of the Romantic painters, but now through the lens of early photography. Editor: I see the echoes of Romanticism, certainly. Mountains often symbolize the sublime—awe, fear, the overwhelming power of nature. But here, it feels less about personal experience and more about asserting a kind of visual dominion. Curator: Perhaps. The photograph itself, as a medium, carried its own weight of authority and objectivity at the time. It became a tool for scientific and colonial exploration, but also for inspiring the masses. Editor: It's a powerful image. Knowing how these photographs influenced geographical perceptions makes you reconsider the politics of representation. Curator: Indeed, it compels us to reflect on how images construct our understanding of the world.