Kasteel van Chillon aan het Meer van Genève, in de verte de Dents du Midi c. 1870 - 1900

Jean-Henri Jullien created this photograph of Chillon Castle on Lake Geneva, with the Dents du Midi in the distance, during the mid-19th century. Jullien's work invites reflection on the romantic era. During this period, there was a profound reverence for the sublimity of nature and historical narratives that intertwined with national identity. This photograph captures not just a landscape, but a cultural moment where the natural world was imbued with symbolic weight. Consider the cultural implications of landscape photography during a time when European nations were solidifying their identities. How might this image of a Swiss castle, framed by mountains and lake, play into narratives of national pride and historical continuity? How does it contrast with or perpetuate similar visual strategies? Think about how photography allowed for the democratization of landscape imagery. The image allows a broader audience to partake in a shared visual experience that was formerly accessible to a privileged elite, and raises essential questions about who has the right to depict and interpret landscapes.