Gezicht op North Lake before 1897

Walter Dwight Wilcox captured this view of North Lake with a camera, fixing it within the pages of a book. The image is primarily monochrome, emphasizing tonal contrasts and textures. The composition centres around the reflective surface of the lake, creating a mirrored symmetry. Above, we see a landscape of mountains and dense trees, with the sky a soft gradient, almost fading into the peaks. These elements are all echoed in the lake’s surface, yet with subtle distortions. Wilcox masterfully plays with natural light to create depth and draw the eye across the scene, which is carefully framed within the book. This interplay of reflection and reality engages with ideas about perception and representation. The photographic medium itself becomes part of the discourse, questioning the veracity of what we see. The structural arrangement of the landscape and its reflection prompts a dialogue about how nature can be both a subject and a mirror of human understanding. Consider how the photograph, as a physical object, interacts with the book form. This emphasizes not only the visual but also the tactile experience, reinforcing how the artist and viewer engage with the world through multiple senses.