Landscapes on the Wall
There’s something uniquely calming about letting your gaze drift across distant mountain ranges. Landscape photography – when thoughtfully chosen and lovingly placed – becomes a kind of window into a world of quiet.
In interior design, such photographs aren’t merely aesthetic. Psychologically speaking, nature imagery in our living spaces has been proven to reduce stress, promote calm, and even aid focus. Many studies show how time spent in nature improves our mood – but even a visual representation of nature, through photography, can have a similar effect. Our brains respond to mountains and rivers on the wall almost as they do to real landscapes: as a space to breathe.
One of the most tender examples of landscape photography comes from Montenegro – from the life of Princess Ksenija Petrović-Njegoš, daughter of King Nikola and Queen Milena. Ksenija was not only a passionate admirer of photography – she was an active photographer herself, with a refined eye for composition, light, and emotional atmosphere. In Croatia, one of the most striking 19th-century photographers was Juraj Drašković, an aristocrat and pioneer of art photography. Though best known for portraits, his landscapes carry a melancholic tone, rich contrasts, and a meditative stillness. In Serbia, Tomislav Peternek stands as one of the most important photographers of the 20th century. His work is marked by deep humanity, a sense for the rhythm of nature, and the quiet light of an ordinary day. The very first art print I ever bought was a print of one of Peternek’s photographs. I still keep it at my parents’ house. Looking back, it was probably my first step – perhaps unconscious – toward understanding photography.
Walls adorned with landscapes create rhythm in a room. When a landscape is authentic, subtle, and technically refined – like fine art prints on archival paper – it becomes more than an image. It becomes a contact point between the space and the soul.
At a time when our physical horizons are often narrowed – working from home, staring at screens and walls – landscape photography restores a sense of spaciousness. It brings light, depth, and freedom into the room, without noise, without technology, and without excess.
It’s no surprise that more and more therapists, interior designers, and contemporary architects are recommending natural motifs for living and working spaces. Comfort isn’t created only with soft pillows and candles – it’s created by what the eyes see when they need rest.
And so: let your wall become a landscape.
