Gezicht op Fribourg vanaf de Chapelle de Lorette 1897

Editor: This is "Gezicht op Fribourg vanaf de Chapelle de Lorette," taken in 1897 by P. Savigny. It's a photographic print mounted on what looks like aged paper. The sepia tones give it a delicate, almost melancholic feel. What catches your eye about this work? Curator: I'm immediately drawn to the paper itself. Notice how it's discolored and possibly even handmade. This wasn't just a neutral support; its materiality actively contributes to the image’s meaning. Consider the labor involved in producing this paper, its specific social context, and the departure from commercially produced material of the time. Does this shift your perception? Editor: Definitely. It makes me think about the artist's choice. Why go through the effort of using such specific, perhaps less ‘perfect’, materials? Curator: Perhaps Savigny was consciously aligning the photographic process with craft traditions, blurring the lines between high art and the "minor" arts. The paper isn’t merely a passive receiver of the image, but an active participant in constructing the viewer’s experience and it also can be regarded as an object to be purchased. The photographic print then becomes an accessible commodity in an expanding market. What does thinking of it in those terms suggest to you? Editor: That the choice of material elevated what might have been a mere souvenir into something… more intentional, a carefully considered art object aimed to broaden consumption practices! It gives the work a richer, almost tactile presence despite being a photographic reproduction. I'd never thought about photography this way! Curator: Precisely. By examining the materials and the means of production, we unveil a deeper understanding of the artistic choices and the work’s place in its historical context. It makes you wonder about the labor involved, the economics, and the artist’s relationship to these factors. Editor: Thank you. I now have a much deeper appreciation for the process behind it.