Microscopische opname van schub van een baars, 25 keer vergroot 1887 - 1888

Curator: Here we have a gelatin-silver print dating back to 1887-1888 by Marinus Pieter Filbri, titled "Microscopische opname van schub van een baars, 25 keer vergroot"—or, a microscopic photograph of a perch scale magnified 25 times. Editor: It's striking, the almost organic, fingerprint-like quality despite its cold, scientific nature. I feel like I’m peering into the rings of a strange tree, with all these dark lines, yet the object remains distinctly alien. Curator: Precisely. Observe how Filbri manipulates the tonal gradations. The play of light and shadow lends an almost sculptural quality to what is essentially a flat, biological structure. Semiotically, the concentric rings evoke ideas of growth, age, and cyclical existence. Editor: It also makes me consider what scales meant to the culture observing them in the late 1800s, you know? Fish have often symbolized wealth or abundance. Presenting it in this amplified format encourages reverence and perhaps even a sense of the sublime. Curator: I concede. There's a tension here, a dialectic between scientific objectivity and the inherent symbolic weight that an image of scales might carry. Look how he frames the circular magnified scale against this square format, highlighting that this is also a piece of constructed artifice. Editor: I think you're spot on. The image certainly transforms a commonplace natural object into something deeply intriguing and, dare I say, almost otherworldly. It reminds me of ancient shields, protective emblems imbued with unseen energies. It asks questions about our own fragile barriers in a way. Curator: Indeed, it exemplifies how photography can transcend mere documentation to become a powerful vehicle for conceptual and aesthetic inquiry. Editor: A wonderful synthesis of science, art, and enduring symbols.