Gezicht op het Château-Dauphin in Pontgibaud 1902

This vintage photograph of Château-Dauphin in Pontgibaud, France, probably taken with a camera, captures a world that feels both distant and dreamlike. It’s intriguing to imagine Delizy, the photographer, positioning themselves to capture this scene. What caught their eye? The strong geometric forms of the towers, softened by the surrounding nature? I feel their desire to translate the three-dimensional world into a flat image, a kind of alchemy that all artists engage in. Look at the tones, how the subtle gradations create depth and atmosphere. The scene is bathed in an ethereal light, giving the castle a timeless quality. It reminds me of the work of other landscape artists, like Corot, who sought to capture the fleeting beauty of nature. Like painting, photography can be a form of embodied expression. Delizy makes their own mark by choosing a particular viewpoint and transforming that into a work of art.