Untitled c. 1900

Curator: What a wonderfully brooding image. I feel like I could write a song after staring at it for too long. Editor: That's a beautiful starting point. We are looking at a gelatin silver print from around 1900, part of the Minneapolis Institute of Art's permanent collection. Although labeled "Untitled" by William J. Mullins, the piece exudes a specific, evocative atmosphere, doesn't it? Curator: Absolutely! The texture! It feels like something heavy, a storm cloud maybe... or a very melancholic memory. It's the sort of image that clings to the back of your throat. Editor: And that’s fascinating, because gelatin silver prints became increasingly popular around that time because of their ability to capture fine details with high resolution. The clouds are a particularly interesting focus, playing into the tradition of landscape painting even as photography became its own established art form. This sort of landscape imagery became increasingly popular through various illustrated publications. Curator: Mmm, interesting! Landscape in photographic terms, versus paintings. Tell me, did you ever make mud pies as a kid and just *know* yours was the prettiest one? I wonder if Mr. Mullins felt like that. As if, through this fairly new medium of photography, he was capturing something the painters just couldn't. Editor: Well, certainly, photographic societies gained traction as they advanced their own aesthetics. It can be seen as photography seeking its own visual language but in reference to fine art movements, like Impressionism for instance, but often tied to Realism. These prints gained importance as forms of visual record, especially landscapes documenting changing environments as they related to both society and nature. Curator: Nature is a constant, which perhaps makes this gelatin silver print even more valuable. Its stark contrast suggests a particular moment in time, a time that felt very... on the precipice. Perhaps between centuries, on the brink of new styles, technologies...even social awareness. Editor: Indeed. It’s amazing how one image can evoke so much reflection, about art, history, and emotion. Curator: Yeah. Gives a person that wistful hope that their own little mud pie…art, photos, songs... will stick around for someone to look at, one day. Editor: Exactly. Something to ponder for your next visit.