Gezicht op een kasteel in de bergen before 1898

This cyanotype photograph of a castle in the mountains was created by O. Stobaeus. Although we don’t know much about the artist, it is a window into the late 19th and early 20th centuries, when photography was becoming more accessible but was still deeply rooted in chemistry and experimentation. This image is not just a landscape; it's a testament to a transformative era in visual culture. During this period, photography was used as a tool to explore and define national identity, with landscapes often romanticized to evoke feelings of patriotism. Yet, photography was also becoming more accessible to a wider range of people, women in particular. Consider how the photographer chose to frame the castle, not as a symbol of power or authority, but as a part of the natural landscape. It invites us to reflect on our relationship with history, culture, and the natural world. It is an echo of a time when photography was as much about art as it was about science.