Rocky Landscape with Coastal View and Waterfall c. 17th century

Editor: Here we have Jacques Prou's "Rocky Landscape with Coastal View and Waterfall," a delicate etching on paper. It’s so detailed, almost dreamlike. How do you interpret this work? Curator: It whispers of a pastoral ideal, doesn't it? A kind of romanticized escape. See how the ruins are softened by nature, how the figures are dwarfed by the landscape? Do you feel a sense of melancholy here, a kind of sweet sorrow? Editor: I do. The ruins feel like a memory. Curator: Perhaps Prou is reminding us that even the grandest empires crumble, and only nature endures. It's a poignant reflection on time, don't you think? Editor: It definitely gives me something to think about. Thanks!