Prentbriefkaart aan Philip Zilcken en Henriette Wilhelmina van Baak before 1912

This postcard addressed to Philip Zilcken and Henriette Wilhelmina van Baak by Léon Paschal captures Glion in a general view. I am always struck by the possibilities of greyscale. Look at the layers of grey here, the building blocks that render the scene and build up the landscape. I imagine Paschal choosing the exact tone of the image that will sit just right with the receiver of the card. Was he hoping for a sense of calm? A reminder of somewhere beautiful and relaxing? Imagine standing where Paschal stood, absorbing the view. The physicality of the scene, the lake, the mountains, the little buildings perched on the hillside. So still, so calming. What a treat. The image looks timeless, like a dream. You can only ever represent a version of reality, so maybe the artist had a dream of the place they were picturing, and the place in the dream has slowly turned grey. What a beautiful piece.