Landscape with an Antique Tomb and Two Wayfarers 1768

Salomon Gessner composed this landscape with pen and black ink and gray wash on paper. The sepia tones create a scene bathed in a soft, contemplative light, invoking a serene yet melancholic mood. The composition is structured around a central tomb, framed by lush foliage and a receding landscape. The monument anchors the scene, its classical form contrasting with the wildness of nature, highlighting the passage of time and the transience of human achievement. The texture varies from the rough strokes defining the foliage to the smooth surfaces of the tomb, creating a rich interplay of light and shadow. Gessner uses scale to emphasize the insignificance of the two wayfarers against the vastness of nature and history. This contrast reflects the Enlightenment interest in nature, and a semiotic reading suggests the tomb functions as a memento mori, reminding us of life's brevity. The drawing challenges fixed notions of landscape, inviting us to reflect on our place in the world.