Wagna Valley, the Cliff, Near View 1863

Curator: This is Samuel Bourne’s "Wagna Valley, the Cliff, Near View," a photograph from the Harvard Art Museums’ collection. Editor: My first impression is that it feels… precarious. The stark, towering cliff face dominates everything. Curator: Indeed. Note how Bourne uses the albumen print process to capture the textures, emphasizing geological forms. The composition is divided, with the cliff contrasting against the soft, distant valley. Editor: Bourne’s colonial gaze romanticizes this landscape, minimizing the experiences and presence of the local communities who navigated these treacherous paths. Curator: Perhaps. But consider also his technical mastery in depicting such a complex, vertiginous space, creating a striking aesthetic experience regardless of the political context. Editor: True. It leaves me to consider the complex relationship between human ambition and environmental impact. Curator: A powerful image that speaks to both the sublime and the problematic.