Cliff View, Through the Trees c. 1895

William H. Rau captured this photograph, "Cliff View, Through the Trees," employing a platinum printing process. During Rau's time, the late 19th and early 20th centuries, landscape photography played a crucial role in shaping perceptions of the American wilderness. This was an era marked by westward expansion, industrialization, and growing environmental consciousness. Rau's images participated in a complex negotiation between romanticizing nature and documenting its transformation. The composition invites you to reflect on how we frame our understanding of nature. Are we inside or outside of it? The image can evoke a sense of being both sheltered and exposed, and prompts consideration of the power dynamics inherent in the act of viewing, and our place within the natural world. Rau’s perspective offers a chance to contemplate our relationship with the environment and the narratives we construct around it. It encourages a critical look at the historical and ongoing impact of human actions on the land.