Berglandschap met meanderende rivier; de Alpen c. 1860 - 1880

This stereoscopic photograph by Achille Quinet captures the Alps, featuring a river that meanders through a valley, framed by towering mountains. The river, a dominant symbol in this landscape, echoes ancient mythologies, mirroring the flowing streams in pastoral scenes of Arcadia. Water, often representing life and purification, weaves its way through art history, from the rivers in classical Roman mosaics to Renaissance paintings. Like the snake, the winding river, a powerful symbol of continuity, finds itself in the stories of cultures worldwide. The mountains, too, reach back into our collective memory, echoing the sacred mountains of ancient Greece or even the ziggurats of Mesopotamia, places where humans sought connection with the divine. This seeking is a deep-seated drive, like a primal impulse. This landscape touches upon the sublime, a realm where awe and a sense of smallness awaken emotions within us. The journey through this landscape and through art history is not linear, but cyclical. The mountains and rivers of Quinet's photograph resonate with echoes from the past, ever returning, ever changing.