Gezicht op een berggroep in de Dolomieten, Italië before 1878

This landscape of the Dolomites in Italy was captured by Eugène Goblet d'Alviella using photography, a relatively new technology in the late 19th century. Photography democratized image making, making it more accessible than painting, although it still required specialized tools, technical knowledge and a darkroom. In this image, the tones range from light to dark with detailed definition, enabled by both the artist’s expertise and the capabilities of the photographic process. The scene showcases the Italian Alps with a village nestled in the valley. We can think about the labor involved, from the photographer selecting an ideal vantage point, setting up the camera, exposing and developing the image, to the printing process. The finished photograph flattens a complex set of social and environmental relationships, involving everything from the extraction of silver for the photographic paper to the industrial manufacture of the camera. This image shows us that even seemingly straightforward depictions of nature are shaped by the technologies and social forces of their time.