Gezicht op een bergdal met rivier en een viaduct, vermoedelijk in de Auvergne 1902

This small photograph shows a mountain valley with a river and viaduct, supposedly in the Auvergne, and was made by Delizy. The palette is fairly limited, all muted browns and greys, as you might expect from an early photograph, but I like to think of it as an active decision, not just a technical constraint, a way of seeing the world in monochrome. The texture of the image is so rich, like the way the light catches on the leaves of the trees or the rocky slopes of the valley. It is beautiful how the eye moves along the viaduct, deeper and deeper into the landscape. I find myself wondering, what kind of camera did Delizy use to capture this scene? What was it like to be there, setting up the shot? I am reminded of Bernd and Hilla Becher who photographed industrial structures with such objectivity. Ultimately, photography and painting are not so different. They are both about looking, seeing, and finding ways to make sense of the world around us.