Aphyllon Uniflorum 1905

Edwin Hale Lincoln made this platinum print, Aphyllon Uniflorum, at some point in his career. What really grabs me here is the tonality, the way the light is coaxed out of the dark, and how this directs our eye toward the delicate forms of these little ghost pipes. It’s a photograph, yet the way it's printed, it almost feels like a drawing, with subtle gradations of tone defining the shapes, with the plant's translucent stems sharply contrasting against the solid black background. Looking closely, you can see the delicate texture of the paper, and how the platinum sits within it, creating a luminous, almost ethereal quality. The plant itself seems to emerge from the shadows, as if caught in a fleeting moment of illumination. The whole image feels alive, like a conversation between the plant and the light. This image reminds me of Karl Blossfeldt's botanical studies, but with a softer, more poetic touch. Both artists share a fascination with the intricate beauty of the natural world, but Lincoln infuses his work with a sense of quiet contemplation. It invites us to slow down, to really see, and to find beauty in the unexpected.