Gezicht op de Fassziehergasse te Wenen before 1902

This photograph of Fassziehergasse in Vienna was made by Franz Holluber, though we don’t know exactly when. What’s so interesting is how a photograph can give us this feeling of immediacy, like we’re really there, but at the same time, it’s mediated through all this technology, and the artistic choices of the photographer. I’m struck by the way Holluber uses light and shadow to create depth and texture in the image. See how the buildings on the left side of the street are cast in shadow, while the ones on the right are bathed in sunlight? It’s a simple trick, but it really makes the scene pop. Also the surface of the photograph itself is not pristine, but rather aged and uneven, which only adds to its charm. Looking at the way Holluber composes the scene, I’m reminded of the work of Eugène Atget. Both photographers had a knack for capturing the beauty of everyday life, but Atget’s work is often more formal and structured, while Holluber’s feels more spontaneous and intuitive. Ultimately, it’s the ambiguity and open-endedness of Holluber’s photograph that makes it so compelling.