Gezicht op grotwoningen te Graufthal before 1894

Charles Bernhoeft captured this photogravure of Graufthal's cave dwellings, a process involving photographic images transferred onto metal plates, then etched and printed. The material qualities of photogravure—its tonal range and capacity for detail—imbue the image with a sense of depth and texture, highlighting the rough, hewn surfaces of the cave dwellings and the surrounding natural landscape. Bernhoeft's technique involves carefully controlling the etching process to create a rich, velvety black ink. This process reflects both artistic skill and industrial capability, and the labor-intensive nature of photogravure suggests a deliberate choice by Bernhoeft to emphasize the value of craft and the handmade in an era of increasing mechanization. The act of making this image, and the people that it represents, are permanently bound to the image.