Gezicht op Nice by Louis Crette

Gezicht op Nice

1861 - 1862

Louis Crette's Profile Picture

Louis Crette

1823 - 1872

Location

Rijksmuseum
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Artwork details

Medium
photography, gelatin-silver-print
Dimensions
height 159 mm, width 218 mm, height 278 mm, width 363 mm
Location
Rijksmuseum
Copyright
Rijks Museum: Open Domain

Tags

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landscape

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photography

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gelatin-silver-print

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cityscape

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realism

About this artwork

Louis Crette captured this image of Gezicht op Nice using photography sometime in the mid-19th century. The photograph presents a panoramic view where soft sepia tones evoke a sense of distance. Here, Crette directs our gaze through a series of horizontal layers: from the detailed foreground structures, across the urban sprawl of Nice, to the hazy mountains in the background. The composition emphasizes a structured layering of space, yet it lacks sharp contrasts, creating a unified but somewhat flattened visual field. The muted palette and even lighting reduce the sense of depth, challenging traditional landscape painting's illusionism. This effect transforms the town into a network of forms, rather than a collection of distinct locations. In this way, Crette's photograph not only captures the appearance of Nice but also prompts reflection on the changing perception and representation of space in the industrial age.

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