From the Shores of the Bosphorus 1912

Adolph de Meyer made this photograph, From the Shores of the Bosphorus, with light and shadow, maybe even a little hope. Looking at the tonal gradations, I can imagine de Meyer in the darkroom, coaxing the image into being. See how the background almost melts away, like a dream barely remembered? And then this young person emerging from the mist, framed by ornate carvings, their gaze direct and steady. I wonder what de Meyer was thinking, making this portrait? What did he want us to see, back then, and what do we see now? There’s a softness, a blurring of edges, almost like a painting... maybe he was in conversation with the Impressionists, blurring the lines between photography and painting, capturing a feeling as much as a likeness. It’s a beautiful, quiet exchange across time, a painter speaking to a photographer, a photographer speaking to us.