Gezicht op Yosemite Valley in Californië 1860 - 1880

Editor: We're looking at Carleton Watkins' "Gezicht op Yosemite Valley in Californië", a gelatin-silver print from between 1860 and 1880. There's a real serenity to this landscape, a kind of timeless quality... like those mountains have always been there. What do you see in this piece, that maybe I'm missing? Curator: Timeless is a perfect word. For me, it evokes a primordial awe, a deep connection to the land before, you know, we put parking lots and gift shops everywhere. Look at the way the light drapes over the mountains. Does it feel like Watkins is just showing us a place, or something more profound? Editor: Something more, definitely. The Hudson River School connection makes sense. It feels... spiritual, almost. Curator: Exactly! Now, consider this was taken during a period of immense westward expansion. Do you think this image could be interpreted as a kind of… invitation? A romanticized, almost utopian vision of the American West? Or a eulogy? Editor: Hmm, an invitation and a eulogy at the same time? I can see that tension. This untouched wilderness, right before... well, it wasn't untouched anymore. Curator: And the photograph itself – a new technology capturing an ancient landscape. The irony! It reminds us that every image is both a record and an interpretation, don't you think? Watkins here seems intent on monumentalizing nature. I wonder why… Editor: It’s fascinating to think about all those layers. I came in seeing this beautiful landscape, now I'm seeing a conversation about time, technology, and the changing American landscape! Curator: Art is, at its core, a mirror reflecting ourselves back to ourselves. Sometimes that reflection is prettier, other times... a little more complicated, no?