Infinite Summits

The exhibition No Vertical Limit. Mountain Photography will be showing at the Musée d'Elysée in Lausanne from 25 January to 30 April 2017. The first of its kind, this exhibition references the notion that photography ‘invented’ the alpine landscape by presenting it to the world. The images follow a very particular tradition linked with the romantic era, by which the mountain is perceived as an untouchable expression of the divine. Up until the 19th century, the mountains were considered the ‘domain of God’ – an ominous, fantasy-laden place which was wholly out of bounds. The pioneers of photography, however, made it possible for people to see never-climbed summits, and turned mountain ranges into comprehensible landscapes.

The exhibition consists of almost 300 prints, the majority of which were taken from the collection of the Musée de l’Elysée. The exhibits span the full spectrum of historical eras, and also include numerous contemporary works. Among the represented photographers are greats from the past such as Gabriel Lippmann, Francis Frith, Adolphe Braun, Jules Beck, William Donkin, Emile Gos and René Burri, as well as contemporary photographers such as Peter Knapp, Balthasar Burkhard, Matthieu Gafsou, Pierre Vallet, Jacques Pugin, Maurice Schobinger and Iris Hutegger.

For further information visit Musée de l'Elysée