St. Maurice c. 19th century

Editor: This is Robert Wallis' "St. Maurice," housed at the Harvard Art Museums. It's quite striking, in a subtle way. The bridge is the clear focal point, but I’m curious about the landscape. What’s your read on this piece? Curator: Well, the landscape print in this era served a very specific socio-political function. It was a way of visually claiming territory, wasn't it? How do you think the romanticized view of nature here might be connected to ideas about national identity? Editor: So, the act of depicting a landscape also becomes an act of possessing it, culturally? I never thought of it that way. Curator: Exactly! It's a powerful tool of representation and control. The consumption and display of these images influenced public perceptions and even justified colonial expansion. It really changes how we see this tranquil scene, doesn’t it? Editor: Absolutely! I’ll definitely look at landscape art differently now. Thanks!