Untitled
John B. Greene
American, born France. 1832–1856
1855-56
A salted-paper print made from a waxed-paper negative in which the photographer seeks to record the monumental presence of a cliff and waterfall as both a topographical record and a visual spectacle.
The eye is arrested by the bright, ribbon-like cataract cutting through dusky, heavily striated rock walls that soar to an empty pale sky, emphasizing scale, texture, and a solemn stillness.
As an 1855–56 work made with waxed-paper negatives and salt prints, it exemplifies early field photography’s expansion beyond the studio, showing how new processes allowed makers to document and aestheticize large natural landscapes.
Medium
Salted paper print from a waxed-paper negative
Dimensions
9 1/4 × 11 5/8" (23.6 × 29.6 cm)
Classification
Department
Credit
Gift of Jerome Powell
Accession
219.1986
Palette
Exhibitions
