Gezicht op Sulden met de Schöntauf en de Suldenspitze before 1899

Photoglob & Co. made this albumen print titled 'Gezicht op Sulden met de Schöntauf en de Suldenspitze' in 1899. During the late 19th century, the picturesque became a popular aesthetic ideal, fueled by industrialization and urbanization. Consider how photographs like this one catered to the burgeoning tourism industry, offering an idealized vision of untouched landscapes. The absence of human figures, save for the built environment, emphasizes the sublime power of nature, inviting viewers to imagine themselves within this pristine scene. What does it mean to frame nature as a commodity, something to be consumed and possessed? How do these romanticized images obscure the labor and resources required to make such leisure possible? As you gaze at this scene, reflect on the complex relationship between humanity and nature, and the ways in which our desires shape the landscapes we inhabit, and those we imagine.