Gezicht op de Église Saint-Georges te Sélestat before 1894

Editor: Here we have Charles Bernhoeft's gelatin silver print, "Gezicht op de \u00c9glise Saint-Georges te S\u00e9lestat," created sometime before 1894. It's a cityscape, and what immediately strikes me is the stark contrast between the towering church and the quiet, almost deserted street. What's your interpretation? Curator: What stands out is not merely the contrast, but the power structures implied. Bernhoeft, working during a period of significant social upheaval, consciously or unconsciously highlights the dominance of the church, both physically and ideologically, over the everyday lives represented by that seemingly "deserted" street. How do you see the 'deserted' street? Is it really deserted? Or does it hint at other issues? Editor: That's a really interesting perspective! I hadn’t considered it in terms of power. To me, the lack of people felt more like a wistful, romantic depiction. But now, I'm wondering if the emptiness might be a subtle commentary on urbanization, and possibly on the displacement of certain communities by the growing power of the church or state. Is that something that Pictorialism generally addressed? Curator: Pictorialism, with its focus on aesthetic beauty, often obscured social realities, yet sometimes those realities seeped through. Consider the rise of industrialization; while Pictorialists may not have directly photographed factories, their nostalgic views of the countryside can be read as a response to those changes. Bernhoeft’s deliberate framing draws our eyes upwards. Does that change the impact? Editor: It does. It’s no longer just a pretty picture, but a visual argument about priorities and social organization. It seems much more purposeful now. Thanks for that context! Curator: It’s about situating it into its context. Seeing art as a product of its time, embedded with meaning that can challenge the status quo, or perhaps, unintentionally, reinforce it.