Automobiel rijdend langs het Lac de Guéry in de Auvergne 1902

Editor: This is “Automobiel rijdend langs het Lac de Guéry in de Auvergne,” taken in 1902 by Delizy, now at the Rijksmuseum. It looks like an early photograph, and it’s beautifully hazy, with an old-timey car in the foreground. What strikes you most about this piece? Curator: Well, I’m drawn to think about this photograph in the context of the early 20th century. We see here not just a landscape, but a specific moment of transition. The automobile itself represents technological progress, but look at where it is – placed right into a landscape celebrated for its unspoiled natural beauty. Do you see a contrast between those elements? Editor: Absolutely! It's like the machine is intruding on this tranquil scene, right? It does raise questions about the impact of technology on nature and society at the time. Curator: Exactly. Early photography, especially with the advent of amateur cameras like Kodak’s, democratized image-making and altered perceptions of authenticity in art. "Plein-air" had traditionally been associated with painting. Delizy here is applying a painterly aesthetic to a photograph of a rapidly changing world, raising complex questions. Who had access to this kind of technology, and what narratives were being told? What do you make of Delizy's artistic choices here? Editor: So, the haziness might be a way of softening that intrusion, or even romanticizing it, by framing the new technology within an established aesthetic tradition. I hadn’t thought about it that way before! Curator: Indeed! By studying the social and cultural context, we gain a deeper understanding of the layered meanings within a seemingly simple photograph. The "plein-air" photography invites us to question the changing relationship between nature, technology and representation at the turn of the century. Editor: Thanks! Considering its historical context really transforms my understanding of this image. Curator: Mine too! It is fascinating to consider the socio-political forces behind an artist's decisions when viewing an artwork.