Gezicht op Salò aan het Gardameer before 1903

Franz Goerke's "Gezicht op Salò aan het Gardameer" presents a landscape distilled through the lens of early photographic techniques. The print, with its modest dimensions, invites an intimate viewing experience, compelling us to consider how light and form coalesce. Goerke’s rendering employs a semiotic language where light signifies presence and absence. Notice how the reflections on the water create a play of solidity and etherealness; the buildings on the shore become almost dreamlike. The choice of black and white emphasizes shapes and textures, urging a consideration of the geometrical underpinnings of the natural and built environment. The image doesn't merely replicate reality, but interprets it. The framing and composition guide our eyes through a world mediated by technological intervention. In doing so, it challenges the assumption of photography as a purely objective medium.