Piazza dei Miracoli in Pisa met links de kathedraal en rechts de Toren van Pisa 1889 - 1893

Editor: This is a photograph titled "Piazza dei Miracoli in Pisa met links de kathedraal en rechts de Toren van Pisa" by Johanna Margaretha Piek, dating from around 1889 to 1893. It’s a gelatin silver print, giving it that lovely sepia tone. The composition, with the cathedral and leaning tower framing the open piazza, feels so deliberately arranged. What do you see as the most important formal element in this image? Curator: The immediate emphasis resides within the spatial relationship manifested. Piek utilizes the circular crop to concentrate the architectural forms, thus inviting inquiry into the relation between the photographic surface and the illusory depth it manifests. Note the tonal gradation and the deliberate placement of the figure within the foreground; these elements reinforce the geometric interplay, wouldn’t you agree? Editor: Absolutely. The placement of the figure adds a sense of scale. It prevents the buildings from overwhelming the picture and provides a focal point within this expansive space. Given its inherent qualities, does this image subvert the established standards of Realism? Curator: The adherence to realism is less about mimicking visible reality and more about using perspective and light to construct a coherent visual system. Look closely at the surfaces of the structures, and you can almost feel the roughness of the stone in the photographic grain. It’s an exercise in pictorial construction, not mere representation. The geometry, therefore, structures the real. Editor: That's interesting. So, instead of seeing it as a simple depiction of a place, we can view it as a commentary on space and form itself, utilizing realism merely as a technical vehicle. Curator: Precisely. Through this approach, we unlock deeper engagement with the art, viewing beyond the depicted to decode the fundamental principles governing its composition. Editor: Well, I’ll certainly look at photography differently from now on! I’ve realized how photographic framing creates a geometry with strong structural qualities. Thank you for elucidating this work and Johanna Margaretha Piek’s practice through a Formalist lens. Curator: Indeed, the careful considerations of light, shape, and form reveal a complexity within realism. I will endeavor to engage in a deeper observation and interrogation of geometrical shapes and tonal ranges as well.