Deel van het exterieur van de San Marco in Venetië before 1884

Editor: This gelatin silver print by Carl Heinrich Jacobi, titled "Part of the Exterior of San Marco in Venice," captured before 1884, really emphasizes the architectural details. It's incredible how the artist focuses on the repetitive geometric shapes. What strikes you most about its composition? Curator: I am drawn to the meticulous articulation of form and texture within Jacobi’s photograph. Note the tripartite window. It creates a compelling visual rhythm through the repetition of rounded arches and decorative circles, counterpointed by the rigidity of the bars in the window openings. Editor: The balance is definitely something I noticed. How do the circular ornaments and the rectangular grilles affect the image as a whole? Curator: The ornaments soften the geometric rigidity. Do you see how Jacobi juxtaposes these elements? He plays with light and shadow, giving depth and dimension to the stone facade, highlighting the structure and materiality. Observe how light catches the cylindrical columns flanking each window, contrasting against the gridded shadows cast onto the facade, revealing intricate details within each window. It's a very controlled application, almost mathematically so. Editor: It’s a stunning image to look at! Considering it’s a photograph, did the lack of colour influence its aesthetic? Curator: The lack of colour encourages the viewer to engage more closely with the formal elements - the textures, shapes and composition. The limited palette allows a focused exploration of form, devoid of the distractions of chromatic nuance. The interplay of light and shadow enhances these effects. It invites contemplation on the structure's intrinsic qualities, stripped of the sensationalism that colour could impart. Do you agree? Editor: That’s a great way to put it. I initially just saw a photograph of a building, but now I recognize all these intricate details the architecture has. Curator: Precisely! We've looked beyond representation and toward the artistic treatment of the medium and structure, discovering something new.