Gezicht op Tószeg 1928

Jan Lanting made this gelatin silver print, "Gezicht op Tószeg," sometime in the 20th century, and what strikes me is how he uses light and shadow to flatten the space, almost like a stage set. The land, the buildings, and the sky become abstract forms, arranged in a deliberate composition. The texture is smooth, almost velvety, due to the nature of the photographic process. The limited grayscale palette emphasizes the contrast between the dark field and the distant skyline. There's a mysterious quality to it. The horizon is a blurry stretch of white and gray rectangles, creating a sense of depth. It reminds me of some of the landscapes that Giorgio Morandi did; still, minimal, and a little bit melancholic. Both artists find a kind of austere beauty in simplicity. In the end, art like this reminds us that beauty can be found in the quietest of places, if we take the time to really look.