Stam van een wilg before 1876

Editor: Here we have William James Stillman's "Stam van een wilg," a gelatin silver print taken sometime before 1876. It’s interesting how he framed the willow trunk in a perfect circle, which almost feels like peering through a spyglass. What strikes you about this photograph? Curator: Oh, that circle! It focuses our gaze, doesn't it? And I love how the rough, textured bark contrasts with the softer foliage. To me, Stillman isn’t just documenting a tree; he’s capturing its *spirit*. It's almost like a portrait of an old, wise… willow! Does the gelatin silver print remind you of any modern processes, or, should I ask, trigger you in some other way? Editor: Trigger me how? I feel like the depth is flat...not in the details of the print, which are very sharp, but as if I’m looking at it at a flattened perspective, you know? And I can see how this captures Romanticism's love for nature... Curator: Absolutely. He seems to relish in its imperfection and sheer… existence. I think there is a distinct relationship that he seeks, and gets, out of its organic wholeness. You are not wrong, and he would surely approve, were he sitting with us. It captures a kind of melancholy, though. Almost a longing, or searching in the photographic gaze... do you sense that too? Editor: Yes, I do. It’s the quiet dignity of the tree despite its age, as you so thoughtfully state, combined with the lack of… well, vibrancy, because it is black and white and taken with this historical medium… that creates a sentimental perspective. Curator: Precisely. And it makes me wonder what Stillman was feeling when he captured this image. Was it about time passing, the resilience of nature, or perhaps a reflection on his own life? I find its stillness really inviting...like a long hug to the roots of human sentiment! Editor: I totally agree; looking at this print has transformed how I see photographic portraits now. I love thinking of the medium as another means to an empathetic outcome.