Winterlandschap before 1901

This is a photograph, titled "Winterlandschap," by WM. B. Post. With its shades of gray and delicate tonal gradations, photography in its early days was considered more of a science than an art. But artists soon saw its creative potential, and sought ways to manipulate the technology. What Post has done here is to make a vista that somehow manages to be both expansive and claustrophobic. The snow seems to press in, the sky is bleached, and the bare trees are regimented on the horizon. The most significant aspect of photography, of course, is its indexical relationship to reality. It is the result of a chemical process, in which light is captured on a prepared surface. Post has embraced this reality, but also somehow transcended it, giving us not just a record of a winter landscape, but an affecting emotional experience. Paying attention to such materials, making, and context allows us to appreciate the full meaning of an artwork, and see the ways in which photography has shaped and reflected our experiences.