Untitled
John B. Greene
American, born France. 1832–1856
1855-56
An early salted-paper photograph made from a waxed-paper negative that records a dramatic cliffside with a small cluster of houses perched on its rim, the maker aiming to capture both the place’s topography and the subtle tonal effects of the new process.
What first strikes you is the vast, vertical expanse of layered rock filling most of the frame while the pale houses cling to the very edge, all rendered in soft, velvety midtones and a grainy, almost painterly surface.
Dating from the mid-1850s, the print shows how the waxed-paper negative expanded photographers’ mobility and control over tone, helping the medium move from purely documentary uses toward expressive, painterly landscape-making.
Medium
Salted paper print from a waxed-paper negative
Dimensions
9 × 11 1/2" (23 × 29.3 cm)
Classification
Department
Credit
Gift of Daniel K. Mayers
Accession
376.1986
Palette
Art Terms
Exhibitions
