Sass-Fee c. 1910

Editor: This is A.G. Wehrli's photograph, "Sass-Fee". The black and white image gives a dramatic, almost romantic, impression of the Swiss Alps. What feelings does this artwork evoke in you? Curator: It makes me think about scale, both the grandeur of nature and our place within it. The tiny village nestled under those colossal peaks…It is really humbling, isn’t it? Almost a memento mori. Editor: Memento mori? Curator: Yes, a reminder of mortality. Perhaps Wehrli is suggesting that even the most imposing mountains will outlive us. The light and shadow really amplify that feeling. Editor: That's a perspective I hadn't considered. So much for a nice landscape. Curator: Exactly! It is the power of art, my friend.