Waterfall in the Steirmark, Its Name Unknown to the Draftsman, Drawn from Life 1681

Artist: Oh, this is lovely! It feels like a dream I once had—of a hidden, rushing place. Historian: Indeed! We're looking at "Waterfall in the Steirmark, Its Name Unknown to the Draftsman, Drawn from Life" by Melchior Küsel. It’s a small plate, just about 4x4 inches, residing in the Harvard Art Museums. Artist: It's incredible how much wildness he captures in such a tiny space. The way the water crashes and foams…I can almost hear it. But there is something melancholic in this image, almost romantic? Historian: The unknown name adds to that romanticism, doesn’t it? Makes you wonder about the relationship between the artist and nature in that period, before cartography was so precise, and how different experiencing a landscape could be. Artist: It really does! I wonder what secrets it holds. I feel transported. Like a little bird flying through this place. Historian: A tiny world, full of reflection. Artist: Exactly. It makes you think about nature's power, even in a small sketch.