Landschap before 1903

Edouard Adelot made this photograph, Landschap, at an unknown date using photographic means. I’m drawn to the way the stark contrast of black and white creates a sense of depth and atmosphere. You can almost feel the dampness of the air, the quiet rustling of the trees. There’s a real process in photography, one of developing and printing, of playing with light and shadow to create an image. The texture of the photograph is smooth, almost velvety, yet the scene depicted is rough and untamed. Look at the way the trees in the background fade into the mist. It’s a single, stark mark that speaks volumes. I’m reminded of the landscapes by early modernist photographers like Alfred Stieglitz, who also sought to capture the emotional essence of a scene through careful composition and tonal control. Like any art, photography embraces ambiguity, inviting us to bring our own experiences and interpretations to the work.