View of Lake Geneva 18th-19th century

Curator: This is Edme Bovinet’s "View of Lake Geneva." The image pulls us into a scene of idealized nature. Editor: It feels like a constructed fantasy, the people are elegant, the dogs bounding, even the clouds seem arranged for aesthetic pleasure. What kind of escapism does this represent? Curator: The scene evokes a sense of the sublime, the emotional weight of landscape reflected through the symbolism of the human figures, their gestures, and dress. Editor: I am particularly interested in the way this reflects the burgeoning Romantic era and its relationship to class and leisure. Curator: It is, indeed, a window into the social and cultural values of its time. Editor: A perspective worth questioning, even today.