Blick auf den Ortler von St. Valentin 1889

Curator: Edward Theodore Compton’s watercolor, "Blick auf den Ortler von St. Valentin," painted in 1889, offers a sweeping vista of the Ortler mountain range, framed by the village of St. Valentin. Editor: It’s like looking through a veil. So much gentle mist. It gives a certain… wistful quality, don’t you think? Makes you want to write a poem or maybe just sit and breathe for a few hours. Curator: Absolutely, the artist was known for his dedication to plein-air painting and romanticism; capturing both the sublime beauty of nature and its impact on the human experience, but beyond that, thinking about accessibility. Editor: I like how Compton leads us into the scene with that path and the figures strolling along it, and then BAM!—giant mountain. It’s like a classic landscape set-up, but I'm drawn to how delicately the scene is rendered in such grand scale; it's truly delightful to see. It’s an interesting dance between intimacy and immensity. Curator: Exactly, and the use of watercolor is interesting to observe. Because if we consider how it allowed Compton to capture the shifting atmospheric effects and quality of light. But it might make one question his intentions regarding nature’s fragility at this time. How could that intention echo similar concepts today regarding climate? Editor: Hmmm. I see what you mean. Makes me wonder how the little figures down there feel beneath that humongous, snowy peak. It must have inspired so much in them—awe, sure, but maybe also a little bit of fear? Like, "Wow, nature is awesome, and I am really, really small." I bet that carriage behind the figures may capture a little trepidation as well, almost comically like the viewer with their back turn traveling through an exhibit, maybe? Curator: Right, there’s an implied relationship between humanity and nature – an attempt to situate everyday lives within an awe-inspiring landscape but also with colonial implications in capturing this imagery. I feel in thinking of Compton’s other works this isn't simply just an isolated landscape. Editor: It really feels like we’re just scratching the surface here with the complexities this image reveals! Thanks for giving a different vantage point on Compton and romanticism! Curator: Absolutely, and on my end, you allowed for me to view this landscape in its purest, emotional form. Thank you!