Overkoepeld pad bij de Elisabethenbrunnen te Bad Homburg vor der Höhe c. 1855 - 1870

Editor: This is a rather lovely photographic print by František Fridrich. It's called *Overkoepeld pad bij de Elisabethenbrunnen te Bad Homburg vor der Höhe,* dating back to around 1855-1870. The composition is just striking. The lines and layers created by the steps, fountains, and covered walkway draw the eye so far into the background... what captures your attention the most? Curator: Ah, yes! There's a certain serenity in it, isn’t there? I find myself lost in the repetition. Rows upon rows leading toward the vanishing point... Almost like the artist is saying, "Look closely, and you’ll find a certain something in every bit, at every distance." And the detail! Remember, this is a daguerreotype – imagine the patience needed to capture such clarity. It’s like freezing a moment of peaceful societal beauty. Editor: That sense of 'freezing' is very interesting. Photography capturing Romantic landscapes does have a particularly nostalgic feeling for a moment lost, or idealised. It also feels different than painting. Curator: Precisely! Do you think the tonal range enhances that? It’s neither here nor there: between memory and actuality. Maybe he captured more than just the path, fountains, and figures? A mood, even. He might have tried to materialize what they imagined being there; they looked so proud on being where they are in this spa. It speaks to me, I must say! It makes me ponder those leisurely afternoons. It's not just *what* is captured, but *how* it makes you feel. Editor: The 'how it makes you feel' point, that’s important. As if Fridrich wanted us to think back on our most restful moments. Thank you; that definitely brings it all into focus.