Evening 1886

Peter Henry Emerson created this platinum print, called 'Evening,' at the end of the nineteenth century. Emerson, a British photographer, focused his lens on the rural landscapes and working class people of East Anglia, seeking to capture what he saw as the authentic English countryside. Here, the tonality evokes a melancholic mood. The still water mirrors the muted sky, and the silhouettes of the trees and houses hint at the coming of night. Emerson, who was trained as a doctor, viewed photography as a science as much as an art. He advocated for "naturalistic photography," and argued against the manipulation of images, believing photographs should reflect the world as it is. There is a tension between the romanticism of rural life and the reality of poverty and labor. Emerson's work invites us to reflect on the complex relationship between art, representation, and social reality.