Gezicht op de Matterhorn en Hotel du Riffel after 1883

Editor: We’re looking at “Gezicht op de Matterhorn en Hotel du Riffel,” a gelatin-silver print, dating from after 1883, by Charnaux Frères & Co. There’s this grand, almost austere feeling to the image – the stark mountain contrasting with the tiny hotel. It’s beautiful but kind of isolating, isn't it? What stands out to you in this work? Curator: You know, it whispers to me of that late Romantic yearning – a delicate dance between the awe of nature's cathedral and the comfort of human construction, almost like a fleeting refuge. Think of how we chase the sublime only to realize our warmest memories come from shared glances at the breakfast table. Now, does the starkness speak to a broader context for you? What narratives might it suggest? Editor: Perhaps the starkness is about humanity’s impact? Like, the hotel trying to stake a claim on something so much bigger? Curator: Indeed, almost audacious, wouldn't you say? It makes me think of those explorers with their walking sticks, placing flags on unconquered lands, a mix of bravado and naive ambition. Maybe this is less about triumph and more about humanity's place in a narrative larger than our understanding, but photographed for commercial exploitation in a very Realist way, right? But it’s not all cold ambition; is there perhaps a delicate poetry in the textures? Editor: Yes, the texture! You see all the layering in the snow and rock. Curator: Isn't it amazing? It is just gorgeous. The print almost dances like a miniature sculpture of grit and wonder, a snapshot into a secret whispered between rock and snow. What feelings stay with you? Editor: I see it more as this powerful mountain, this beautiful natural shape that endures. Curator: Absolutely, so it really has shifted the narrative slightly. This photographic narrative is all the more powerful due to that intimate feeling we were able to build. Editor: Definitely! It feels richer having thought about Romanticism, Realism, and the pure physical feel of it.