Gezicht op de Silberhorn, de Mittaghorn, de Grosshorn, de Breithorn en de Tschingelhorn in de Berner Alpen

About this artwork

verzamelaarsmerk, verso, gestempeld: ‘VOSMAER’

Art Historical Context

This collotype print by Arthur Gabler offers a panoramic view of five prominent peaks in the Bernese: the Silberhorn, Mittagh, Grosshorn, Breithorn, and Tschingelhorn. Created between 1870 and 1889, the work measures just under 20 by 28 centimeters and reflects the growing fascination with Alpine landscapes during the late nineteenth century, when improved travel and photography made these remote mountains more accessible to artists and the public alike. Collotype, the medium employed here, was prized for its ability to capture fine tonal gradations and intricate details without the use of a screen. It allowed Gabler to render the dramatic rock faces, snowfields, and atmospheric depth of the high Alps with remarkable clarity, bridging the gap between traditional printmaking and the emerging precision of photography. Such prints were often collected as souvenirs or study aids by travelers and scholars. A collector’s stamp on the verso reading “VOSMAER” indicates the sheet once belonged to a distinguished private collection, underscoring the print’s value as both a topographical record and an object of aesthetic appreciation. Today it invites viewers to appreciate the quiet majesty of these Swiss peaks through the refined lens of nineteenth-century reproductive technology.