A Line in the Himalayas
- Artist: Richard Long CBE
- Date: 1975, printed 2004
- Medium: Digital print on paper mounted onto aluminium
- Dimensions: image: 860 x 1284 mm
- Museum: Tate Modern
- Collection record: Tate Modern website
Listen to the free audio guide
About this artwork
This is the “A Line in the Himalayas” by Richard Long CBE. It’s a digital print on paper mounted onto aluminium, capturing a moment from a 1975 walk in the Nepalese Himalayas. Long set a line of white stones across a rocky, snow‑covered slope, letting the line stretch straight toward the distant mountain peaks. The photograph shows the stark blue sky reflecting off the snow and the white stones, creating a quiet geometric contrast against the rugged landscape. Long’s practice revolves around walking and marking the natural world, turning the act of movement into art. In this piece he translates a simple, almost invisible line into a powerful visual statement about distance and scale—there’s no middle ground, just the line disappearing into the chaotic scree of the mountains. It reminds us that even a small human gesture can leave a lasting mark on the environment.
See it in person
A Line in the Himalayas is in the collection of Tate Modern on Bankside, London — free to enter. Point your phone at any artwork there and audioguide.london plays a free audio guide in six languages — no app download needed.
