Unter den Linden gezien richting de Brandenburger Tor, Berlijn 1880

Curator: We’re looking at Johann Friedrich Stiehm’s “Unter den Linden gezien richting de Brandenburger Tor, Berlijn,” taken in 1880, a gelatin-silver print. Editor: The symmetry is instantly striking, yet softened by the almost hazy atmosphere. The light feels very balanced, but maybe a little melancholic. Curator: It's interesting to consider gelatin-silver prints in this context. This process allowed for mass production and wider distribution, essentially democratizing images of urban landscapes. How does this interplay between mass production and artistic intent inform your initial impression? Editor: Well, even with its wider availability, there’s an undeniable stillness, a formality in the composition that seems to elevate the scene beyond a simple documentary shot. Note how the dark trees on either side act as a kind of framing device, focusing our gaze towards the Brandenburg Gate. Curator: Absolutely, and if we look closer, we see people – figures arranged in specific ways along the sides, seemingly captured unaware while seated on benches lining the Unter den Linden, contributing to the sense of scale and the performative aspect of urban life. This contrasts with the solitary figure placed closer to the forefront. Editor: Precisely. That lone figure pulls the eye, anchoring the viewer within the scene. Its placement and the street stretching back guide us to that distant landmark, reinforcing perspective through linear devices, giving the shot incredible depth. It certainly captures something beyond the pure functionality of just documenting what Berlin looked like then. Curator: So we have a moment in time carefully captured using a then-novel photographic process, reflecting the ambition of a city while serving a specific cultural role. Editor: Yes, and from that central positioning and through composition, the city breathes, capturing and rendering our attention and gaze from Stiehm's unique perspective of Berlin and beyond.