The Fyfield Elm in Arnold's time before 1912

This photogravure by Henry Taunt, titled ‘The Fyfield Elm in Arnold's Time,’ captures an ancient tree with a network of bare branches reaching up like veins against a misty sky. The monochromatic palette lends a timeless quality, as though Taunt is searching for something beyond the surface. He coaxes a range of tones from the single hue, focusing on the texture and form. See how the stark branches contrast with the soft focus of the background, blurring the line between the tree and sky? It’s like a conversation between precision and chance, isn’t it? Taunt’s work reminds me a little of Eugène Atget, another photographer who documented the changing face of the world around him. Both artists invite us to contemplate the passage of time, and the dialogue between what is solid, and what is fleeting.