Landschap, "La route de Rescht, Paitchenar [?]", Iran c. 1885 - 1910

This landscape, taken in Iran by Antoine Sevruguin, is a photograph printed on paper, probably albumen. As a process, photography is deeply tied to the rise of industrial capitalism. While it doesn't require a factory, it does rely on a highly refined division of labor in manufacturing the equipment and materials needed for the picture to be made. The print’s sepia tone results from chemical reactions integral to the developing process, a form of alchemy that was quite new at the time, and speaks to the material conditions of its production. The scene itself depicts a caravan of working animals, pausing on their journey. The photo is a slice of life that depends on animal labor. It asks us to consider the relationship between the individuals who owned the animals, and the photographer who may or may not have been among the landed gentry. Sevruguin was known for his ethnographic portraits, but here, in this landscape, it is possible to see the image as bound up with social and economic factors. This challenges any rigid separation between documentary photography and art.