Opgezette sperweruil 1871 - 1876

Editor: So, this is "Opgezette sperweruil", taken between 1871 and 1876 by William Notman. It's a gelatin-silver print displayed in an opened book, so photography *and* paper are key materials. I’m immediately drawn to the textural contrast—the stark white pages against the detailed plumage of the owl. How does this piece speak to you, in terms of pure form? Curator: Formally, it presents a fascinating dialogue between representation and the physical objecthood of the book. The photograph, meticulously rendered with a gelatin-silver process, offers a representational space. Yet it is irrevocably bound to the book’s structural presence – its binding, the texture of its aged pages. Note the deliberate contrast; the photograph commands attention, set against the vast blank page which emphasizes its own detail and tone. Editor: I see what you mean. It's not just the *image* of the owl, but also the material presence of the photograph itself that's doing the work. Curator: Precisely. Consider also the tonal range within the photograph itself. Notman exploits the subtle gradations of light and shadow inherent in the gelatin-silver process. How does this interplay contribute to your perception? Editor: It gives the owl a strong sense of volume, despite being a flat image within a flat page. It creates an illusion. Almost as if Notman aimed to capture a sculpture using photography. Curator: Indeed. We must look at both the image and how it is presented within the volume. Editor: So, beyond the bird itself, it’s the dialogue between the photographic image and the book as object that creates meaning. Curator: Exactly. It invites contemplation not just on what is depicted, but on the nature of depiction itself. A play between mediums, you might say.