Interieur van de kathedraal van Milaan before 1886

Curator: This gelatin silver print, taken before 1886, depicts the interior of the Milan Cathedral. The architecture is overwhelming, isn’t it? The artist masterfully captures the play of light and shadow. Editor: Absolutely. It’s just…massive! I’m struck by how the photograph seems to emphasize the geometry – all those repeating lines and soaring arches. What do you see as the most important aspect of the photograph? Curator: Focusing on its formal properties, I am drawn to the photographer's management of space. Notice how the perspective diminishes into the background? It emphasizes the immensity of the cathedral, directing the viewer's eye upwards along those gothic arches and ribbed vaults, those neoclassicist decorations on columns and around windows... Can you see how the strong vertical lines contrast with the horizontal arrangement of the pews? Editor: Yes, the repetition of verticals, then that abrupt horizontal break where the pews begin...it is an arresting choice in composition. I almost feel pulled in, then grounded suddenly. Curator: Precisely. Consider also the materiality, that it is in gelatin silver print. The restricted monochromatic scale accentuates texture and form in the most essential ways. How does that medium reinforce the grandeur you noted? Editor: It gives it a timelessness, I suppose. The grayscale renders the textures abstract and immediate, which reinforces how the photo reduces the cathedral to shapes. I wouldn't have noticed this without your help. Curator: Indeed. The architectonics here yield endless interpretive possibilities. Editor: This deeper understanding has definitely enhanced my appreciation for the photograph.