In Montreux, Vaud District c. 19th century

Editor: This is Alexandre Calame's "In Montreux, Vaud District". It looks like it could be a lithograph? It feels so... pastoral and serene, yet there's a certain starkness to the scene. What do you see in this piece? Curator: It's a dance, isn't it? Between man and nature. Calame captures this mill nestled in the landscape, a humble structure almost swallowed by the mountains and trees. It reminds me of a half-remembered dream. Do you feel that tension between the wild and the tamed? Editor: I do, now that you point it out! It makes me wonder about the people who lived there, so connected to the land. Curator: Exactly! It's a glimpse into a life lived in harmony, a life we can only imagine now. Editor: Thanks. I'll never look at a landscape the same way again. Curator: Wonderful. Keep looking, keep wondering.