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Chateau Gaillard: The Cliff of Andeley from the West

Chateau Gaillard: The Cliff of Andeley from the West

Artist: Frederick Henry Evans (British, 1853-1943)
Date: about 1853-1943
Dimensions:
10 1/2 × 8 7/8 in. (26.7 × 22.5 cm)
Medium: platinum print
Classification: Photographs
Credit Line: Purchased with funds given by an anonymous donor
Object number: 1970.11
Label Text:
Described by Alfred Stieglitz as “the greatest exponent of architectural photography,” Frederick H. Evans is best known for his images rendered on platinum paper. Platinum paper yields an especially subtle range of middle gray tones. The amazing tonal range is further enhanced through Evans’s printing process. This is a contact print (the negative is placed in direct contact to the photographic paper during exposure). Contact prints are more detailed than those produced through enlargement. The combination of platinum paper and contact printing helped Evans produce images of light, form, and space that were recognized from the beginning for their creativity. Evans strove to produce images that would give the viewer an emotional experience—the same emotional response they would have at the actual site.

Chateau Gaillard was the stronghold of Richard I of England (Richard the Lionheart), 12th-century feudal duke of Normandy. The perspective chosen by the artist, placing the fortress high above the viewer, enhances the impact of the formidable structure.



DescriptionOriginal photographic print.
Not on view
In Collection(s)