Sonnenblick (beim Großen Stern) (Original Title) 1866

Curator: Here we have Hermann Wilhelm Vogel's "Sonnenblick (beim Großen Stern)," or "Sunlight at the Great Star" taken around 1866. It’s an albumen print on paper, housed right here at the Städel Museum. Editor: My immediate impression is one of somber beauty, a melancholic moodiness underscored by the sharp contrasts and subtle gradations of tone. It’s as if the photograph itself is exhaling a sigh. Curator: It is certainly a masterclass in tonal range. The composition leads your eye directly to that brilliant point of light at the end of the path, almost blinding in its intensity, before settling into the richly detailed textures of the trees and ground. We see this manipulation often in Pictorialism, how do you see Vogel experimenting with realism in this piece? Editor: Given the date, its interesting to look at it beyond pictorialism because we see Vogel reflecting on what constituted public space in Berlin during a time of rapid urban development. Consider the socio-economic implications: who had access to such parks, and who was excluded? The image becomes a quiet commentary on class and privilege, framed within this seemingly idyllic landscape. Curator: That's an interesting point. Considering the artistic movement, the emphasis, to me, seems more about exploring the evocative qualities of light and shadow, the interplay between form and formlessness. Editor: But even formal elements have ideological weight! The path leading to a blinding light--what does this evoke given German Expressionism was right around the corner? Is this suggesting a predetermined future? What about free will? And this all hinges upon Berlin at the precipice of a cultural revolution. Curator: So it becomes more than just a picturesque scene. I appreciate your insights. It really enhances my own viewing of this. Editor: Absolutely, and it pushes us to ask critical questions about representation, power, and the subtle ways in which art reflects the society that produces it. We have to be cognizant and see the cultural landscape as Vogel did.