Gezicht op een bosrijk gebied tegen een berghelling in de Harz c. 1903 - 1908

This photo, presumably taken by Geldolph Adriaan Kessler somewhere in the Harz, uses an interesting sepia tone. The mark-making in photography is about light. Think about the sensitivity of the photographic plate, the aperture and speed of the shutter, the environmental conditions such as the humidity of the air and the quality of light. This piece is very atmospheric. It is as though the photo is a physical thing, that the light is the object. The way the light hits the rock is particularly beautiful. The light is hitting the rock face and defining the three-dimensional form. The light is almost tangible. This approach to light reminds me of some of the Hudson River School painters, like Frederic Church. They both manage to capture a sense of place, but also a sense of awe and wonder. Art is an ongoing conversation, an open field where new ideas can take root.