Abstracte afdrukken van glasnegatieven before 1890

This is "Abstracte afdrukken van glasnegatieven", or Abstract prints of glass negatives, by Eugen von Gothard, though we don't know exactly when it was made. The image presents a study of light effects on photographic glass plates, reflective imperfections that would otherwise be discarded. The presence of this image in a photographer's yearbook suggests that the institutions of science and art were not as distinct as we might imagine today. This photograph represents an intervention into the culture of scientific inquiry and artistic practice. Von Gothard was a Hungarian astronomer, and this image might be considered a contribution to the fields of both photography and astronomy. To understand it better, it would be worth investigating the journals and publications of both astronomers and photographers of the late 19th century. This image reminds us that the meaning of art is contingent on its social and institutional context.