Gezicht op Cape Elizabeth met twee vuurtorens before 1890

This monochrome photograph shows a view of Cape Elizabeth with its lighthouses, captured through an anonymous lens. The print's composition immediately draws the eye to the stark contrast between the solid, angular rocks in the foreground and the fluid, almost ethereal quality of the water. The artist uses these elements to construct a visual language that speaks to the sublime. Here, the sublime is found not only in the picturesque scene, but also in the very structure of the image itself. The lighthouses on the horizon, symbols of guidance, are rendered almost insignificant against the raw power of nature depicted in the turbulent waters and rugged coastline. This photograph doesn't simply represent a location; it invites us to consider the interplay between human construction and the natural world. It is a moment of visual tension and equipoise.