Promenade du Midi en de monding van de Paillon te Nice before 1892

Editor: Here we have “Promenade du Midi en de monding van de Paillon te Nice,” a photograph created before 1892 by Étienne Neurdein. It's an albumen print, offering this dreamy, almost ethereal view of Nice. I'm struck by the muted tones and how the soft focus almost romanticizes this coastal cityscape. What particularly grabs your attention when you look at this image? Curator: You know, it's funny, it's precisely that softness that gets me too. There’s a real yearning baked into this photograph – a desire, perhaps, to see a world gentler than it was, or maybe a wish for a world more romantic. Think about the timing—pre-1892. Photography was becoming increasingly popular, democratizing image-making, yet here's Neurdein employing this almost painterly aesthetic. Editor: That makes so much sense! So he is intentionally blurring the lines between painting and photography? Curator: Exactly! Pictorialism as a style sought artistic legitimacy for photography by mimicking the effects of painting and drawing. Notice how Neurdein manipulates light and focus to create atmosphere. Can you almost feel the Mediterranean breeze? It's not just a record of a place; it’s an evocation of a feeling. And I wonder, what stories do you imagine unfolding along that promenade? Editor: Now I see this bustling city and promenade in a whole new light. Initially, I thought it was just a pretty picture of a city by the sea. But with this pictorial lens, I appreciate it far more! Thanks. Curator: My pleasure. Isn't it wonderful when an image keeps whispering to us, revealing new layers with each look? That's the true magic of art.