Gezicht op een rivier bij Pontoise 1897

Curator: Here we have an 1897 photograph entitled "Gezicht op een rivier bij Pontoise", or "View of a River near Pontoise," rendered in gelatin silver print. Editor: The sepia tones give it this dreamy, almost faded memory quality. It’s like a half-remembered summer day seen through a gauzy curtain. Very peaceful, if a little…monotone? Curator: The artist clearly chose the medium for its ability to render subtle gradations of light. Notice how the reflective quality of the water enhances the dreamy affect. Pontoise, near Paris, attracted many Impressionists who were capturing those ephemeral light conditions, of course. What about you, seeing it for the first time, makes you perceive peacefulness? Editor: Well, for starters, there's this quaint little houseboat with the reflected light dancing across it; also, the rhythm of those rowed trees leading into the scene really draw you in, right into that still river. Everything in this print points inward. You almost expect the photograph to sigh, or offer you a cup of chamomile. It is like a snapshot of serenity frozen in time! Curator: It reminds us of a bygone era, but perhaps there's also a universal appeal. The island with those clustered trees creates a microcosm – an escape, a personal sanctuary – which historically links back to various sacred groves. In Western art, islands often represent isolation, but also, potentially, untapped creative possibilities. What would you call this feeling? Nostalgic reverie or reflective contemplation? Editor: Mmm… both, really. The photo has this contemplative mood that pulls at the memory strings; a soft sense of wistfulness. It feels both old and immediate. Like stepping into a time machine where the stakes are low and the water is still. Curator: That’s a beautiful sentiment. Its Impressionist leaning is clear, even in a medium we don't usually associate with it! Photography at the time really struggled to define its own voice; now it shows how flexible some artists are to work across mediums, blurring defined categories. Editor: A little river, a little memory, a whole lot of art in a humble photograph. Who knew sepia could be so stimulating?