Derwentwater c. 1860

Roger Fenton captured "Derwentwater" using the wet collodion process, a popular photographic technique of the mid-19th century. As an upper-middle-class man, Fenton had the resources to experiment with this emerging technology. He initially gained fame for his war photography during the Crimean War. Turning to landscape, "Derwentwater" reflects the Victorian era's fascination with nature and picturesque scenery, which was often romanticized in art and literature as an escape from industrialization. However, the photograph also embodies the complex relationship between landscape, identity, and power. The serene depiction of the English countryside masks the social inequalities inherent in land ownership and access. The very act of photographing and framing the landscape reinforces a particular perspective shaped by class and cultural values. Fenton's artistic choices, such as the composition and tonal range, evoke a sense of tranquility, yet they also invite us to consider whose stories are told and whose voices are silenced in this seemingly objective representation of nature.