Ladders Near the Baths of Leuk c. 18th century

Curator: This is Salomon Gessner’s “Ladders Near the Baths of Leuk,” and I find the stark rendering of the rock face quite compelling. Editor: I'm struck by the ladders themselves; they feel almost like a visual metaphor for social mobility or access to something hidden or elevated. Curator: Absolutely, consider the labor involved in constructing and maintaining these ladders. Access to these baths was, no doubt, a constructed privilege. Editor: And the baths themselves likely held symbolic weight, promising healing or purification, perhaps even a connection to the divine through nature. The trees atop suggest a sacred grove. Curator: I agree. The material reality of the ladders—the wood, the labor—contrasts with the ethereal quality of the landscape, a tension Gessner masterfully captures. Editor: It's a potent reminder that even the most sublime experiences are often built upon the foundations of human effort and social structures. Curator: Indeed, Gessner provides a glimpse into the built environment. Editor: A fascinating intersection of material and symbolic realms, truly.