Twee vrouwen lezen een kaart before 1900

Albert Gottheil’s “Twee vrouwen lezen een kaart” is a photograph made with a platinum print. The beauty of platinum printing lies in its material qualities. The platinum salts sink into the fibers of the paper, creating a matte surface with a subtle range of tones, giving the image a soft, almost ethereal quality. This process, popular in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, demanded a high level of skill and attention to detail, which is reflected in the photograph's rich blacks and delicate highlights. The process was labor-intensive, requiring careful preparation of the paper and precise timing during exposure and development. The choice of platinum printing speaks to a desire for permanence, as platinum is a very stable metal. It also elevated photography to the status of fine art, aligning it with traditional printmaking techniques like etching and engraving. This highlights how artists used materials and making to challenge traditional distinctions between high art and craft, imbuing their work with cultural significance.