Carte photographique de la lune, planche IV.A (Photographic Chart of the Moon, plate IV.A) Possibly 1900 - 1914

Charles Le Morvan made this photographic chart of the moon, plate IV.A, at an unknown date, using photographic techniques. The image is like a monochrome painting, made up of a million subtle tones. It's fascinating how the textures come alive, transforming the surface of the moon into something almost touchable. The dark areas pool, like pools of shadow, contrasting with the raised, cratered surfaces that catch the light. There’s one particularly clear crater that anchors the composition, drawing you in like a bullseye. There's something about the precision of photography combined with the mysteries of outer space that remind me of the American painter Vija Celmins, who was also interested in the night sky, and in particular, the way that realism can unlock the strangeness of the world. Art, like space, is never just one thing, it’s an ongoing conversation.