Lemaître en A. Peugeot in een automobiel, vermoedelijk bij de Course du Mille, een race in Nice Possibly 1899

Editor: Here we have a photograph, likely from 1899, titled "Lemaître en A. Peugeot in een automobiel, vermoedelijk bij de Course du Mille, een race in Nice," housed at the Rijksmuseum. The sepia tone and the slightly blurred figures lend the image a certain dreamlike quality, almost like a fleeting memory. What aspects of the photographic composition stand out to you? Curator: The most striking formal element is the contrast between the sharp focus on the car and its occupants, and the softer background. Note how the intricate spoked wheels and the drivers' attire are rendered with considerable detail, immediately drawing the eye. Then, consider the orthogonals. The lines of the building on the left subtly draw the viewer's gaze back. Do you see how the photograph uses varying planes of focus? Editor: Yes, I see that now! It's like the foreground is deliberately isolated from its context. Curator: Precisely. This deliberate blurring serves to abstract the background, almost removing any narrative weight from the physical setting. The receding plane creates depth in the picture, leading us to what is deemed most important to the photographer. It gives more volume to the focal objects. Is the photographer isolating motion as stasis, here? Editor: Hmm, interesting. Because by contrasting sharp against unsharp elements, motion is frozen for an extended period. I did not notice all of these! It shows the dawn of new technologies. Thank you. Curator: It’s a process of constant unveiling. Thank you.