Gezicht op een gletsjer before 1902

This photograph of a glacier was made at some point by J. Feuerstein. It’s on the right-hand page of an open book. I’m already imagining the physical setting—a table or desk, a lamp, and someone carefully placing the book open to capture this shot. Look at the range of gray tones defining the glacier. Imagine the photographer waiting for the perfect light to capture the different textures of the ice and snow. What I notice about the tones is that the depth of field is very shallow. There’s a softness to the image, a kind of dreamy fuzziness that makes the mountains feel both near and far. In a way, Feuerstein is conversing with a tradition of landscape painting while also forging a new vision of the sublime through photography. Each approach allows different ways of seeing and experiencing nature, inspiring new modes of expression. It feels like an act of translation. These exchanges are so important because they allow for endless reinvention.