From the summit of the Malauna pass, 12.200 Ft before 1895

Frederick Saint John Gore created this monochrome print titled "From the Summit of the Malauna Pass, 12,200 Ft." The print presents a high-altitude mountain scene dominated by stark contrasts. The foreground is a snow-covered slope, its texture articulated by subtle shadows and the marks of passage, leading the eye upwards. The middle ground reveals a stark, rocky mountain face, which meets the distant, softly rendered peaks under a light sky. This composition invites reflection on space and perception. Gore's use of monochrome flattens the scene, emphasizing tonal relationships over color, which challenges fixed notions of depth. The variations in texture, from the granular snow to the smooth sky, function within the historical context of landscape art, yet push beyond traditional representation. The ascent visually embodies a philosophical quest. The starkness, however, reminds us that art does not present a singular unchanging meaning. Instead, it is a site for ongoing interpretation and re-interpretation.