Bischoffelsen in Bodetal, Duitsland 1855 - 1885

Curator: The scale and texture are really impressive in this gelatin-silver print by Adolph Hecht, called "Bischoffelsen in Bodetal, Duitsland," dating back to between 1855 and 1885. It's a landscape shot of some dramatic rock formations, and I’m struck by the almost ominous feeling it evokes. What stands out to you? Editor: It is impressive, indeed. The sharp details really do convey a lot of texture. How do you interpret this work in light of, say, photographic and landscape traditions of the 19th century? Curator: Well, photography emerged during a period of significant social and political upheaval. Landscapes, especially romantic landscapes, weren't just about pretty scenery. They often functioned as allegories for national identity and the relationship between humanity and nature, loaded topics when societies are undergoing massive change. Think about how German Romanticism influenced notions of belonging. How might that resonate here, do you think, in light of its title? Editor: I hadn't considered the link to nationalism that explicitly, but thinking about the title, it roots the photograph in a specific German locale and, implicitly, a kind of pride in that geography. It is "original-Aufnahme." Curator: Precisely. Moreover, how does the act of photographing, instead of painting, alter the dynamic? Photography, even then, had associations with scientific objectivity, yet artists like Hecht are framing very particular perspectives. Editor: That's really insightful. So it is an assertion of cultural identity, tied to a place at a time of upheaval and shaped by the apparent “objectivity” of photography. Curator: Exactly. We need to consider what ideological work this "objective" image might be doing. Food for thought, yes?