Untitled [trees] c. 1915

Editor: So, this gelatin silver print, Untitled [trees], was made by Theodore Eitel around 1915. It’s just… incredibly atmospheric. I feel like I’m peering into some forgotten corner of a forest, almost like a dream. What do you see when you look at this, what story does it whisper to you? Curator: A whisper is right! For me, it's a reminder that the natural world holds countless untold stories. Look at the way the light filters through the branches—like secrets being revealed in glimpses. Eitel is using the soft focus lens, reminiscent of pictorialism. What’s remarkable is the way Eitel seems to capture not just the trees themselves, but the feeling of being within them. Don't you almost feel the damp earth beneath your feet? Editor: I do! It's more evocative than realistic, even though it’s a photograph. Was he trying to make it painterly? Curator: Precisely. The gelatin silver print allows for these rich tonal variations. There’s a moodiness to it; a feeling of something ancient and enduring. What strikes you most about the composition itself? Does the way the trees are arranged convey a certain emotion? Editor: I think so, it definitely communicates a sense of serenity but maybe even a little mystery. Like, what else is hiding in those woods? Curator: Exactly! The beauty of art is that it invites us to bring our own questions, and perhaps our own stories, into the frame. Editor: I think I'll look at landscapes in a completely new light from now on. Curator: It's like stepping into a world you thought you knew and discovering something utterly new!