Gezicht op de Via Mala before 1868

Stephen Thompson made this photograph, "Gezicht op de Via Mala," as part of a bound album. Here, two circular prints are neatly arranged on the right page, each showing a view of the Via Mala gorge. The monochromatic palette enhances the somber, awe-inspiring scale of the landscape, emphasized by the contrast between light and dark tones suggesting depth and texture. The composition—two distinct yet connected scenes—invites us to consider duality and perspective. Thompson uses the structure of the album itself, the juxtaposition of images and blank space, to play with ideas of absence and presence, information and void. The circular framing further isolates these views, turning them into specimens or studies, and perhaps echoing the scientific and exploratory spirit of the time. Ultimately, the visual elements in Thompson's photograph, from the stark contrast to the careful composition, create a powerful dialogue between the observer and the sublime, inviting an ongoing interpretation of nature and representation.