Landscape with Travellers before a Ruined Triumphal Arch, a City in the Background c. 17th century

Curator: This delicate print, housed here at the Harvard Art Museums, is titled "Landscape with Travellers before a Ruined Triumphal Arch, a City in the Background" by Adam Perelle, who lived from 1640 to 1695. Editor: What strikes me immediately is the stillness. It's a melancholic scene, almost like a dreamscape. The circle emphasizes that feeling of detachment, of looking in from afar. Curator: Absolutely. Perelle was very interested in architectural ruins. The print gives us a window into how landscapes were viewed, and even idealized, during this period. It's not just a landscape; it's a stage for reflection on time and decay. Editor: The triumphal arch, once a symbol of power, is now overgrown, crumbling. It's a potent reminder of how empires rise and fall. And the travelers seem so small against that backdrop, swallowed by history. Curator: Right, and the presence of these figures suggests a contemplation on the transience of life, positioned against these monumental, yet decaying, structures. This type of imagery was popular among the aristocratic class at the time. Editor: Well, it’s a hauntingly beautiful meditation. Curator: Indeed, a visual poem on memory, loss, and the enduring power of nature.