[Yosemite National Park, California] 1876 - 1880

Carleton Watkins created this albumen print, titled ‘Yosemite National Park, California,’ sometime in the 19th century. The circular frame contains a vast landscape. The monolithic granite formations dominate the foreground, leading the eye towards a distant, ethereal lake. This composition evokes a sense of sublime grandeur, a feeling of awe in the face of nature's scale. Watkins masterfully manipulates the tonal range of the albumen print, using light and shadow to define the contours of the rocks and the depth of the valley. The rough texture of the granite contrasts with the smooth, almost dreamlike quality of the distant lake. This tension between texture and tone creates a visual metaphor for the relationship between the tangible and the sublime, the known and the unknown. The circular format itself is a significant structural element. It frames the landscape, presenting it as a self-contained world. This artistic choice encourages us to consider the photograph not just as a representation of a place, but as an exploration of form and perception. Watkins invites us to see Yosemite not only as a physical location but as an idea, a symbol of nature's power, mediated through the lens of artistic interpretation.