Drie gezichten op Hamburg, afgebeeld een pier aan de rand van de stad, eikenbomen aan de Krugkoppel en de Winterhuder Brücke 1894

Wilhelm Dreesen created “Drie gezichten op Hamburg” using photography, a relatively new medium at the time. It consists of three scenes of Hamburg, each carefully captured with an eye for composition. Photography in the late 19th and early 20th centuries wasn't the point-and-shoot affair we know today; each image required careful preparation, from coating and exposing the plates to developing them. It was labor-intensive, with a significant amount of time spent in the darkroom to produce a final print. Here, the black-and-white medium highlights the contrast between the natural and built environments, emphasizing the formal qualities of the scenes. The textures of the water, trees, and architecture are all enhanced by the monochromatic palette, drawing attention to the material world around us. In appreciating Dreesen’s photography, it’s important to remember the labor and process that went into each print, reflecting the changing landscape of art and production at the time.