Drie huizen en een rij bomen before 1902

Heinrich Kuhn made "Three Houses and a Row of Trees" using a platinum print, and what strikes me is the tonal range, the light and dark, and how they describe the volume of the trees. I imagine Kuhn outside, lugging all that photographic equipment around, searching for the perfect vantage point. The grainy quality of the print gives the whole scene a dreamlike air, like a memory half-forgotten. Look at how the trees fade into soft focus, almost dissolving into the sky. It's a study in contrasts. The light reflecting off of the houses draws me in, while the dark, solid forms of the trees on the right create a sense of depth and mystery. This piece reminds me of the work of other early photographers who were experimenting with capturing the essence of a scene, not just its surface appearance. Like painters, they were finding ways to express feeling and atmosphere, and pushing the boundaries of their medium. Kuhn is in conversation with all of them.