Carte photographique de la lune, planche XX (Photographic Chart of the Moon, plate XX) Possibly 1899 - 1914

Charles Le Morvan created this photographic chart of the moon – Carte photographique de la lune, planche XX – probably in the late 19th or early 20th century. Looking at this lunar landscape, I imagine Le Morvan, peering through his telescope, patiently capturing the moon’s surface, one exposure at a time. It’s a real act of observation! He might have been thinking about mapping out all of those craters and valleys, and how they related to each other. The surface feels almost tactile, like a deeply worked drawing, maybe a charcoal rubbing of the universe. Think about the texture in this image. All those gradations of light and shadow feel like he’s trying to describe the weight of the moon itself. You can almost feel that dust and those rocks. It reminds me of some of Vija Celmins’ photorealist drawings, they both share this interest in close observation, and how that process alone can make something feel so new. It’s a beautiful thing.