Palmiers Doums à Hamarneh 1849 - 1850

Editor: So, here we have "Palmiers Doums à Hamarneh," a photogenic drawing from around 1850 by Maxime Du Camp, currently residing at the Met. It strikes me as quite ethereal; a forest bathed in sepia tones, but with almost bleached highlights. What draws your eye when you look at it? Curator: Ah, yes. "Ethereal" is spot on. What sings to me is how Du Camp transforms what might be a simple, geographical record into something quite poignant. The light, for instance, it almost seems to be breathing life into those doum palms. It feels deeply personal. It whispers of sun-drenched afternoons and quiet contemplation, doesn't it? Do you sense the patience it took to capture this with the earliest photographic methods? Editor: Definitely the patience! I imagine he had to stay completely still, and so did the trees. But 'poignant'? I saw stillness but not sadness. Is it because you know how long it took to capture it, with this early process? Curator: Perhaps. Knowing the dance of chemistry and light involved lends a certain gravitas. But, beyond the technical, consider what he chose to frame. Not grand monuments, but these quiet, sturdy trees. What story do *you* think they’re telling in their stillness? Editor: Hmm... I guess it's about finding beauty in the ordinary? The palm trees in themselves aren’t that unusual but are so impressive together and against the pale sky. Curator: Exactly. And sometimes, isn’t the most profound beauty found in the moments where things *aren't* happening? Thanks for helping me think it through, with your fresh eyes! Editor: Thanks for helping me think beyond my first impression, to see more possibilities in the scene.