Gezicht op Saint-Christophe in Frankrijk 1903

This landscape image of Saint-Christophe in France, was made by Delizy, the date is unknown. I’m drawn to the monochrome palette here, the browns and creams, and how it creates this antique, almost dreamlike, quality. It feels more like a memory than a document. It shows us a high viewpoint. I think of the artist perched atop a hill, or perhaps even a ruin, to capture this. Look how the path snakes its way around the hill, almost like a river itself. I’m really intrigued by the little buildings dotted around the landscape; they seem so vulnerable against the imposing rock formations. The texture is palpable; you can almost feel the roughness of the rocks, the smoothness of the water, and the softness of the field below. There's a timeless quality here, something that reminds me of the landscapes of Gustave Courbet, but rendered with a delicate touch. It's this ambiguity, this blending of textures and tones, that really speaks to me.