Landschap before 1901

Rudolf Eickemeyer made this photograph, Landschap, at an unknown date, probably with a simple camera and lens. What’s so compelling about landscape photography is how it transforms a real, three-dimensional space into something flat and still. Here, the scene is captured in a soft focus, making everything feel a bit dreamlike. The foreground is full of detailed grasses and rocks, which gradually soften into the blurry background of trees. There’s a real sense of depth, even though it’s all just shades of gray. Look at how the light catches the tops of the grasses in the field, creating a shimmering effect. It’s almost as if he’s painting with light, using different exposures to build up textures and tones. This interest in light and shadow is something you see in the work of other photographers, like Alfred Stieglitz. Both artists were part of a broader movement interested in pushing the boundaries of photography, asking whether the photograph could be considered art. What do you think?