Gezicht op een kloof en het dorp Bozouls 1903

This landscape by Delizy captures a village perched on the edge of a canyon, and the sepia tone gives it a timeless quality. Looking closely, I am drawn to the way the light rakes across the rough texture of the rock face, accentuating its craggy surface. It’s so easy to imagine the photographer carefully mixing the chemicals to create this image. You can almost feel the tactile nature of the process in the finished print. I love how the architecture seems to grow organically out of the rock, as if the village and the landscape are locked in a strange embrace. It reminds me of those early Atget photographs of Paris, where the city becomes a character in its own right. There’s a similar sense of quiet observation here. As in any good work of art, Delizy’s photograph rewards careful looking. It’s more of a meditation than a statement.