Carte photographique de la lune, planche I.A (Photographic Chart of the Moon, plate I.A) Possibly 1908 - 1914

This photographic print of the moon, made by Charles Le Morvan, invites us to consider the art of seeing and capturing the unseen. The image renders the moon's surface in a spectrum of grayscale tones, each crater casting a shadow, a delicate and stark dance of light and dark. I imagine Le Morvan peering through his telescope, his eye pressed to the lens, charting the lunar landscape with the curiosity of an explorer. It reminds me of Agnes Martin and Vija Celmins who mapped the expanses of the ocean and the night sky in their paintings. Each crater, each shadow, a universe of its own, captured on paper. What does it mean to map the moon? It's a reminder that even in the most scientific endeavors, there is a space for wonder and artistic expression, and like painting, the photograph becomes a testament to human curiosity.