Gezicht op Hotel d'Orange in Zandvoort c. 1890 - 1900

Editor: This photograph, taken by A. Bakels Sr. around 1890 to 1900, captures the "Gezicht op Hotel d'Orange in Zandvoort." The rigid lines of the Hotel dominate the cityscape. What strikes me is the sheer volume of repeated rectangular forms: windows, bricks, even the fenced area. How would you interpret this composition? Curator: From a formalist perspective, it's interesting how the photograph manipulates the interplay of line, form, and repetition to establish a sense of order. Note how the linear perspective converges subtly towards the right, creating depth while maintaining a relatively flat picture plane. The chromatic range of whites, greys, and blacks—nearly devoid of tonal variation—evokes the flat affect in early photography. What do you notice about the facade of the Hotel? Editor: The rhythmic arrangement of windows definitely stands out. It's almost architectural, and perhaps intentionally overwhelming in its presentation of order. Are you suggesting the photograph focuses less on subject matter and more on visual structures? Curator: Precisely. The photographic medium's unique capability for mimetic representation allowed artists a freedom to focus on compositional elements as carriers of meaning. What purpose do the trees and ground have? Editor: They almost seem to anchor the formidable and highly ordered facade, by injecting texture into the smooth gradients of grey tones, adding complexity in contrast. The shrubbery has chaotic tonalities against the order in the Hotel's structure, and I had not appreciated that. Curator: Precisely. By directing our attention to intrinsic formal qualities such as line, repetition, and tone, and by understanding the significance of materiality, photography’s conceptual function gains clarity. Editor: I understand. Thank you for revealing how to understand a photograph from its formal components rather than its mimetic capability. I can appreciate this photographic construction of an image rather than it just being an accurate depiction.