Gezicht op de Wildkarspitze before 1889

This is Friedrich Simony's lithograph of the Wildkarspitze. Although undated, it reflects the burgeoning interest in mountainscapes during the 19th century. Simony, an Austrian, captured the stark beauty of the alpine landscape. But this wasn't just about aesthetics. The rise of mountaineering as a sport and a science shaped how people perceived mountains. No longer just obstacles, they became sites of exploration and national pride. Consider the context: the Austro-Hungarian Empire was a patchwork of cultures and regions. Promoting a shared identity was crucial and images like this helped foster a sense of belonging. The Alps, a natural border, became emblematic of Austrian identity. As historians, we look to sources like mountaineering club records, travel guides, and even scientific treatises to understand how this image functioned within its time. Art, after all, is never created in a vacuum, and images of mountains reflect the social and political landscape just as much as the physical one.