Gezicht op Le Puy-en-Velay 1902

This dreamy image, "Gezicht op Le Puy-en-Velay," possibly made with an early camera, brings a whole town into soft focus. I can imagine Delizy, the photographer, squinting through the lens, trying to capture all the levels and layers of this small city, stacked almost on top of each other like pancakes. The sepia tones create a sense of distance, a veil over the scene, as though we’re looking into the past. Did Delizy struggle to get the perfect angle? Were they trying to show the relationship between the land and the buildings? To me, the muted tones suggest a quietness and the acceptance of light and shadow. It also makes me think about other artists like Eugène Atget, wandering the streets, always trying to get the exact right shot to describe a place. These artists are all in conversation, each pushing the boundaries of their medium.