Der Franciscaner 

Boats, Cityscape, Engraved Biographical Text, Harbors, wharves, Italy, Manipulated photograph, Religion, Monks

Dimensions

Image Dimensions: 12.6 x 8.8 cm : September

Associated Highlights:

Wiener Photographische Blätter: 1894-1898 – Austrian photographic art journal

Taken in 1894, this photograph is also known as:  A Franciscan, Venice

This hand-printed photogravure on heavy paper similar to Japan vellum or parchment is actually a composite of two separate photographs stitched together by Annan during the copper plate making process. A distinctive line can be seen on close inspection that zigs and zags from the top of the photograph just left of the etched title to the very bottom of the plate in a more or less straight line. The monk’s shadow on the wall is at the very border of where this line intersects with the other half of the photograph at left, which shows Venetian stevedores at work. Although this composite photograph is not typical of Annan’s known photographic work of the period, (with the influence here being fellow Linked Ring photographer Henry Peach Robinson) it does show his thought process as a photographer in wanting to make a simple scene of intersecting planes in the pictorial grid more intriguing as a finished photograph.

A separate tissue-guard leaf for this plate is printed with title: Der Franciscaner , and name of photographer: Von J. Craig-Annan centered below title.