Olijfgaard in Sirmione before 1903

Curator: Before us is a gelatin-silver print entitled "Olijfgaard in Sirmione," dating to before 1903, attributed to Franz Goerke. It's part of the Rijksmuseum collection. What are your initial thoughts? Editor: Ah, instantly nostalgic. It whispers of old photographs tucked away in attic trunks. The monochromatic palette feels like a memory, a faded dream. There's a definite pictorialist vibe here; it's soft and romantic. Curator: Precisely. Goerke masterfully employs pictorialism, evident in the soft focus and atmospheric perspective, creating a sense of timelessness. Observe the composition; the trees are not merely objects but elements in a carefully constructed arrangement. The light, as a consequence, seems to hold everything together. Editor: You know, I think it’s the light that really gets me. It dances through those trees like liquid silver. It’s a melancholy kind of light. I keep expecting a figure to appear, maybe a traveler or a hidden nymph. Is it weird to imagine smells from the photograph? I get olive groves. Curator: It is a sensory experience, is it not? Now, analyze the tonality. Goerke skillfully manipulates the grey scale. The dense blacks anchor the composition. What's even more significant is that we're encountering this print as part of an open book, complete with thick, columned text and what looks like handwritten typeface! It certainly disrupts any attempt to focus solely on its formal values... Editor: You're right. I missed that at first! It is so cleverly inserted in this journal spread, where handwritten text sits on an aged, homemade-style paper. The combination turns the grove into an old note in a private travel sketchbook, a meditation in nature! Curator: I appreciate how you bring the dimension of subjective engagement. Overall, in Goerke's rendering, the mundane becomes imbued with a serene beauty. Editor: And that merging with its journal medium allows us to view photography not only as capturing art, but as art. Well, this little olive grove certainly woke up something in me!