Vlucht naar Egypte 1864 - 1905

Editor: So, here we have an anonymous gelatin-silver print from between 1864 and 1905, called "Vlucht naar Egypte" – or "Flight into Egypt." The sepia tones give it this antiquated, almost dreamlike quality. It's fascinating how this photographic image, depicting a narrative, exists as a stereoscopic card. What really stands out to you when you look at this work? Curator: Oh, darling, isn't it utterly charming? What captures me is how this ostensibly 'realistic' medium – photography – is used to depict something so steeped in myth. It’s like capturing moonlight in a jar, the elusive made momentarily solid. And the way it's presented, doubled, mimicking our own two eyes, invites you to enter, to partake in their journey. Do you find yourself wanting to step into the frame, too? Editor: Absolutely! I feel almost like a voyeur, witnessing this very private moment. The landscape seems stark, almost barren. Curator: Exactly! This isn't just a simple landscape; it’s the stage for an escape. Notice how they’re positioned – dwarfed by the vastness. I wonder if the photographer felt, like so many of us, the pull of faith, the comfort and the fear inherent in the unknown path. It's narrative, sure, but deeply personal. And who knows where that original negative began? Was it born from the wet collodion? Or touched with brush strokes? Editor: That’s a good point! The combination of the photo’s "realism" with the biblical narrative… it does blur the lines. Curator: Precisely! That dance between the seen and the believed… it’s what keeps me coming back to pieces like this. Editor: I never thought about the photograph's medium working to enhance the biblical story itself. Food for thought! Thanks! Curator: My dear, anytime. May our eyes be ever open to these little pockets of magic.