Gezicht op Lugano aan het Comomeer 1851 - 1900

Curator: The level of craft involved in this albumen print, "Gezicht op Lugano aan het Comomeer" by Antonio Nessi is quite apparent, wouldn’t you agree? Look at the various components such as mountain, cityscape and lake in the scene, do you see something relevant to consider? Editor: I do! I'm struck by the photo's sepia tones, the texture of the paper, and the clarity, especially given it was made somewhere between 1851 and 1900. How did Nessi even make this? Curator: Albumen prints are created using a process where paper is coated with egg white – the albumen – and then sensitized with silver nitrate. Think about that for a moment, someone had to produce that albumen to be processed! That coating provides the binding layer for the photographic chemicals. The photograph is then printed by direct contact with a negative under sunlight. Each print is essentially handcrafted. What do you think this implies? Editor: Wow! The level of control needed is incredible. It really makes you appreciate the skill that went into what we might just consider an ordinary landscape photo today. The detail... it’s astonishing. Does the use of specific material like albumen relate to the social and economic context? Curator: Absolutely. Albumen prints, while popular, required resources - eggs, chemicals, time. Consider who would have access to such resources during the time period and how this impacts our understanding of visual representation! This photograph acts as a social artifact in the sense that, what narrative does this landscape reflect and who had access to appreciate it? How does photography democratize or not, visual depiction? Editor: That makes sense. It's easy to forget the social implications of even the materials themselves. I see the albumen print technique beyond mere material process; it is interwoven to labor, resources and capital of its era. I have a different impression after learning this; thanks for elaborating on this! Curator: Indeed, understanding the materiality allows us to deconstruct this artwork through an intricate network of its production!