"Paysage de Susten en Suisse"
Artist: Xavier Leprince
Date of Creation:1824
Location: Louvre Museum, Paris, France.
Created in 1824 by French artist Xavier Leprince this painting is titled "Paysage de Susten en Suisse". The title translates to mean "Landscape of Susten Switzerland" and it is currently on display in the Louvre Museum in Paris, France. It was purchased from the special collection of King Charles X in 1826 towards the end of the Romantic period. The piece was created with oil paints and is a remarkable example of the power landscape pieces have in conveying dynamic Romantic themes and concepts, such as the sublime, beautiful and picturesque. The painting depicts five individuals who have come to a stop while exploring a Swiss mountain pass. The mountainous background evokes sublime qualities such as obscurity, grandeur, and power. Yet, its overall detailed and smooth composition reflects qualities that are attended to when perceiving something beautiful. Furthermore, Leprince is able to capture the romantic allure and desire to travel and explore polar regions of the world. The individuals in the painting are portrayed to be enthralled in a moment of awe and wonder. Many assume that the man who is sitting on a rock drawing or writing within his notebook is a self-portrait of Leprince. The act of documenting either through drawing or writing furthermore evokes the romantic belief of travel being a means of acquiring self-knowledge and perspective about the world.
Keywords:
Picturesque, Sublime, Beautiful, Exploration, Travel, Knowledge