Mijlpaal No. 0 van de U.S.A. Washington Monument 1936

Editor: This is a photograph from 1936 by Wouter Cool titled, "Mijlpaal No. 0 van de U.S.A. Washington Monument", and it’s a gelatin-silver print. I'm struck by how stark and geometric it is. What do you see in this piece from a formal perspective? Curator: The overwhelming sense one derives is the monumentality achieved through stark simplicity. The composition is divided into distinct planes of light and shadow. The Washington Monument itself serves as the primary vertical thrust, a rigid obelisk juxtaposed against the softness of the surrounding foliage and expansive sky. Consider the tonal range achieved within the greyscale; note the subtle variations of light that define the monument's texture, contrasting with the flattened, almost abstract rendering of the sky. Editor: So the contrast is really important? Curator: Precisely. The geometric purity of the monument, a series of stacked shapes culminating in a sharp point, provides a stark counterpoint to the organic forms surrounding it. This contrast emphasizes its constructed nature, its artifice. Notice too how the photographer has positioned the monument slightly off-center, preventing a static symmetry. Does this deviation introduce a sense of dynamic tension? Editor: It does create a slight unease, almost as if the monument is about to shift. It’s less a celebration and more of a study of shapes and tones. Curator: Exactly! The essence resides in the relationships between form, light, and texture, stripping away superfluous narrative to reveal the underlying structural framework. In doing so, Cool draws our attention to the very essence of the photographic medium. Editor: I now see how the simplicity emphasizes those contrasts, it completely shifts how I appreciate the piece. Curator: A close reading reveals a complexity masked by apparent simplicity; the photograph operates on a purely formal level, a testament to Cool’s Modernist approach.