Chateau Gaillard: The Cliff of Andeley from the West

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Chateau Gaillard: The Cliff of Andeley from the West

Artist Frederick Henry Evans (British, 1853-1943)

Dateabout 1853-1943

Dimensions10 1/2 × 8 7/8 in. (26.7 × 22.5 cm)

Mediumplatinum print

ClassificationPhotographs

Credit LinePurchased with funds given by an anonymous donor

Object number

1970.11

Not on View

DescriptionOriginal photographic print.

Label TextDescribed 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.Exhibition HistoryToledo Museum of Art, Refraction/Reflection, April 20-September 2, 2012.