Gezicht op Château d'If te Marseille 1870 - 1900

Editor: So, this is an albumen print called "Gezicht op Château d'If te Marseille" by Étienne Neurdein, created sometime between 1870 and 1900. It feels so…distant, almost dreamlike. I'm drawn to the fortress far away. What story do you think it's trying to tell, with its subtle sepia tones? Curator: That fortress, Château d'If, has quite a story. Built in the 16th century, it quickly became a prison, inspiring legends of intrigue and injustice, most famously featured in Alexandre Dumas' "The Count of Monte Cristo". Look how Neurdein frames it - hazy, remote, like a ghost of stories past. It's not just a building; it is a repository for dreams and nightmares, don't you think? What comes to mind when you consider the stillness? Editor: It does feel haunted. But also, there's something romantic about the idea of a place holding so much history, even dark history. The emptiness almost makes the fortress more ominous because it allows you to fill it with whatever comes to mind. What do you mean by the stillness though? Curator: Yes, precisely. And look at the water, the way Neurdein captured the stillness of the water. Before photography, conveying such a moment was unachievable, limited to a painter's artistic rendering. It's almost meditative, a kind of stage set for a dream. I wonder what Neurdein would make of our hyper-mediated world today. Do you imagine he would see its magic still? Editor: Wow, that’s so true! I didn't think of the stillness as its own focal point but seeing how still everything looks creates an overall calm. Maybe, it depends on what subjects would capture Neurdein's eye; perhaps capturing people is the next thing for his work. This was much more than I initially perceived, and now I know more about considering time as a core element. Thank you! Curator: It’s all about peeling back the layers and listening to what the artwork whispers, or perhaps in this case, what the silence amplifies.