Detail van sculptuur De Nijl c. 1857 - 1875

This photograph of a sculpture, titled ‘Detail van sculptuur De Nijl’ was taken by James Anderson. The image captures a detail of a sculpture, likely made of marble, given its smooth texture and the way it reflects light. The original sculpture would have involved subtractive techniques, painstakingly removing material to reveal the forms of the figures, as well as the labor involved in quarrying and transporting such a large block of stone. Anderson’s photograph flattens this process to a two-dimensional plane, focusing our attention on the textures and forms of the sculpture. The contrast between light and shadow accentuates the three-dimensionality of the figures, even as it reminds us of the distance between the sculptural object and its photographic representation. The material qualities of the marble, its cool smoothness, and the implied weight of the full sculpture are all mediated through Anderson’s lens. By considering the processes of both the sculptor and the photographer, we can appreciate how each artist transformed raw materials into objects of cultural significance, challenging any strict divide between art and craft.