Straatgezicht met automobiel in Pont du Loup, rechts een gezelschap bij een hotel 1903

Editor: Here we have "Straatgezicht met automobiel in Pont du Loup, rechts een gezelschap bij een hotel," a photograph taken in 1903. It's incredibly detailed, almost like stepping back in time. What draws me in is the sepia tone, and how it evokes a sense of nostalgia and calm. What do you notice about it? Curator: Ah, yes, the good old days! Nostalgia is definitely one flavor in this delicious historical dish. The Pictorialist style—you see it in the soft focus and artistic manipulation of the image—lends itself so well to that romanticized past. For me, it is a photographer trying to play the game of the painters, immitating not the subject, but painting style itself. Editor: Pictorialist style. That is amazing! It is funny to see the influence of the paintings reflected on photography and also to learn that in 1903 that automobile on the left-hand side must have been new! Curator: Exactly! The modernity is juxtaposed with traditional scenery in a playful manner, giving this capture so much vitality and making us think of the many facets that make the charm of Pont du Loup! Now tell me, the scene looks to me vaguely familiar with something coming from Japanese painting - am I on the wrong path? Editor: Japonisme. So, that explains the angled framing with tall vegetation acting like pillars, doesn't it? Curator: You got it. It brings something new and old, from the far and from here! It’s a photograph but echoes art from across the planet! We may want to jump in the time machine, what do you say? Editor: It sounds dangerous but really fun! This piece shows us how styles have been changing through time and have been so creative back in 1903! Thank you. Curator: And thank you! A picture, a car, a city, a hotel, with an intriguing mix of art trends --what could be better!