Sihlwald, Home of Salomon Gessner c. 18th century

Curator: Johann Heinrich Meyer gives us "Sihlwald, Home of Salomon Gessner." It's a rather humble dwelling, isn't it? Editor: It breathes tranquility; I can almost hear the water flowing. I'm curious about the process--etching, maybe? Look at that dense cross-hatching! Curator: Probably. It feels grounded, like a direct, unvarnished observation. Gessner must have been a simple man, at one with nature to be living in such a house. Editor: Or maybe he recognized the value of his own labor and didn’t need fancy things. I mean, this kind of printmaking demanded considerable skill, both intellectual and manual. Curator: Perhaps. I keep thinking of Thoreau. This image whispers of intentionality. A conscious choice to live deliberately. Editor: Indeed. So much meaning packed into what might seem like simple lines. It makes you wonder about the story of each mark, doesn't it? Curator: Absolutely. I could lose myself in here for hours. Editor: And I am already there.