A View in Steirmarck, Drawn in the Vicinity of Heizberg 1681

Editor: Here we have Melchior Küsel's "A View in Steirmarck, Drawn in the Vicinity of Heizberg," an engraving on a small plate. It strikes me as both romantic and a bit ominous. What catches your eye in this landscape? Curator: The theatricality of it all! It’s a stage, isn't it? The meticulously placed trees, the tumbling waterfall, that precarious fallen tree. It's almost as if nature is putting on a play for us. Do you think that drama is a part of its charm? Editor: Absolutely, I didn’t realize that before. It makes the small figures feel even more exposed to the wildness. Thanks for pointing that out. Curator: And thank you for seeing the initial darkness. Maybe Küsel was hinting at something more, beyond the picturesque view.