Gezicht op het gebouw van het Athenaeum Illustre in Amsterdam 1860 - 1885

Editor: Here we have Pieter Oosterhuis’ gelatin silver print, “Gezicht op het gebouw van het Athenaeum Illustre in Amsterdam,” dating from somewhere between 1860 and 1885. The symmetrical composition, broken by the trees in the foreground, is striking. What catches your eye in this work? Curator: The rigorous symmetry is indeed compelling, particularly the doubling effect created by the stereoscopic format. Note how the architectural details – the fenestration, the articulation of the doorway, the gable – are rendered with remarkable clarity. It highlights the photographic medium’s capacity to capture precise textures and forms. How does this play against, say, contemporary painting? Editor: Well, painting allows for more…expression, perhaps? This feels very… literal. But meticulously so. Curator: Precisely. The materiality of the print itself – the tonal range achieved with the gelatin silver process – contributes to the sense of realism but, simultaneously, presents us with a constructed image. Observe the light. How does it model the architecture? Editor: It’s soft, almost diffused. It reveals form without harsh shadows. I also note the flat space of the photo compared to, say, perspective in painting of the era. Curator: A key observation. Space, as you see, is treated more as a layering of planes. The formal structure of the photograph asserts itself over any illusionistic depth. A proto-modern approach, one might argue, foreshadowing the explorations of surface and texture that would later dominate modernist photography. Are you beginning to feel Oosterhuis' hand? Editor: Yes, I think so. At first glance, it appears to be a straightforward depiction of a building, but the composition and the technical choices involved reveal a deliberate artistic strategy, underscoring its modernity. Thanks, I didn’t see that before. Curator: Indeed. And that is the power of close looking; it always yields unexpected findings.