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Young Trees
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Young Trees about 1850
  • Scottish Art
John Muir Wood was an amateur photographer who often took his inspiration directly from the Scottish landscape. Many of his photographs demonstrate similarities to conventional landscape painting by including a focus and either a path or a stream to lead the eye into the picture. Some images, including this one, depart from these familiar conventions. ‘Young trees’ is a calotype negative touched up with red ink or watercolour. An original and intense image, it gives the impression of a mysterious place that we can glimpse but not enter.

Glossary Open

Calotype

The first effective version of photography, using drawing or writing paper for both the negative and the positive. The paper was sensitised with potassium iodide and silver nitrate, exposed and developed in gallic acid and silver nitrate.

Negative

Specifically a transparent material on which the tones and colours of a photograph are in reverse, from which a print is made. The term 'negative space' refers to the area around an object.

Calotype, Negative

Details

  • Acc. No. PGP W 95
  • Medium Calotype negative, touched up with red ink or watercolour
  • Size 12.00 x 14.00 cm
  • Credit Sir Alan Muir Wood Collection, presented 1985

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Scottish Art