Vrouw in de amazonezit op een paard met twee mensen gekleed in monnikspijen ernaast 1899

Curator: Looking at James Craig Annan’s 1899 albumen print, “Vrouw in de amazonezit op een paard met twee mensen gekleed in monnikspijen ernaast”, the initial impression is one of dreamlike ethereality. Editor: It’s murky, isn’t it? I'm immediately struck by the density of the medium; you can practically feel the texture of the albumen silver. The tones are muted. Almost feels more like fabric. Curator: Absolutely. Pictorialism sought to elevate photography to the level of art by using soft focus and manipulated printing processes. In this particular print, the contrast of figures – the woman on horseback, flanked by what look like monks – presents a procession through an ambiguously defined landscape. It seems as if there could be some religious element due to the clothing worn. Editor: A materialist approach draws my attention to the labor inherent in albumen prints; so demanding and time consuming, requiring countless steps, from coating the paper to lengthy exposures. You know, beyond the subject, what's also communicated is the very process to create this. Think of all of the historical factors required: the photographer, their tools, the printing materials… It seems like such an oddity today. Curator: Indeed. Annan, a key figure in the Photo-Secession movement, imbued his images with symbolic depth. Consider the recurring motifs – the veiled figure, often on horseback or travelling. The visual story that emerges feels mythic, echoing ancient journeys or spiritual awakenings. They’re signifiers meant to connect us to our shared past. Editor: The printing, combined with this visual processing, has resulted in something truly unique and special. These individuals may all be on display thanks to industrialization, yet through craft the end product speaks more closely of individuals: the artist, the figures and the future viewer. Curator: Thinking about Annan's work, it reinforces how much photography is a medium of capturing and constructing narratives, not just documenting reality. There’s a deliberate emotional message meant to instill thought and reverence for memory and its visual echoes. Editor: Yes. Examining Annan's method provides a vital, if blurred, window into the means of cultural output in the late 19th century. He highlights the complexity of cultural labor in ways which may not always be visible or celebrated within historical accounts of photographic style and imagery.