Gezicht op Magdalen College in Oxford before 1912

Curator: Before us, we have two photographs, gelatin-silver prints, created by Charles Puttemans likely before 1912. Both offer views— "Gezicht op"— Magdalen College in Oxford. The set provides two contrasting streetscapes that frame the college's architecture. Editor: The atmosphere is so still. You can almost hear the silence of the ancient stone and the gentle hum of intellectual life, but at the same time it also evokes this loneliness feeling. What's with those blurry people in the streets, anyway? Curator: These photographs, leaning into pictorialism with their soft focus, actually align with a broader artistic movement towards endowing photography with the qualities of painting. It's fascinating to see how photographers at the time fought to have their work seen as equal to that of painters. This treatment blurs the lines between the instantaneous capture and an art that reflects personal aesthetic expression. Editor: Personal aesthetic is an understatement. They have managed to make Oxford look gloomy, which is quite an achievement. Did no one tell him about sunlight back then? Anyway, in one print, the college tower rises from what seems like mist, adding a dreamlike touch, while in the second, I find these medieval buildings jutting out, defying gravity itself! Curator: And there you touch upon an important facet: these weren’t mere snapshots. Puttemans, like other pictorialists, carefully composed his photographs. The blurring of the scene creates a strong focus on the main subject. The use of perspective, both atmospheric and linear, draws the viewer’s eye towards specific elements, thereby orchestrating how the scene is perceived and what meanings are emphasized. Editor: All very deliberate then. Knowing all that doesn’t make me warmer to the photographs. Still feel I would prefer to look at it with bright colors or under sunlight. Maybe, it is that era's equivalent of a moody Instagram filter... who am I to judge, right? Curator: Exactly! These images offer a chance to reflect on how visual storytelling evolves and the different lenses through which artists seek to capture not just what is seen, but how it is felt. Editor: True! I am not going to look at this work the same way again, and now, even though I prefer color, this silence and nostalgia will not let me indifferent. Thanks.