Gezicht op de Pissevache-waterval c. 1860 - 1880

Editor: This stereoscopic daguerreotype, titled "Gezicht op de Pissevache-waterval," was created by Ernest Eléonor Pierre Lamy between 1860 and 1880. It features two nearly identical images side by side, presumably to give a sense of depth when viewed through a stereoscope. What strikes me most is the contrast between the solidity of the rock and the ephemeral quality of the waterfall itself. How do you interpret this work from a formalist perspective? Curator: Precisely. Notice the dominance of the vertical axis, anchored by the plunging waterfall, set against the more horizontal arrangement of the landscape at its base. This immediately creates a compositional tension, drawing the eye from top to bottom and back again, in a cyclical fashion. Further consider how the restricted tonal range-- the almost monochromatic palette of grays and whites--emphasizes texture and form. What is the effect of rendering such a dynamic natural event with a technology predicated on stillness and fixity? Editor: I see your point. It's as if the photographer is trying to freeze a moment of constant motion. But beyond simply capturing a scene, wouldn't the choice of this location have some symbolic weight? Perhaps its romantic associations, like the sublime? Curator: A temptation, perhaps, to read beyond the object itself, but for the formalist, it’s primarily the manipulation of form and light, the internal dynamics, which reveal its aesthetic character, not external meaning. Observe how the blurring of the water enhances its textural contrast with the solid, precisely rendered rock. It is this juxtaposition that offers a semiotic code to interpret. Editor: I suppose I was letting my fascination with subject matter distract me. It’s about how the subject is visually communicated, right? Curator: Precisely. Now, let us turn our attention to how photography relates to landscape paintings in the same period. Editor: I'll be sure to keep the formalism front of mind moving forward. I see so much more to look for!