Artwork Page for The River Gorge

Details / Information for The River Gorge

Series Title: Afghanistan, February 1880

The River Gorge

1878–80

John Burke

(Irish, 1845–1915)
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Culture
Ireland
Medium
albumen print
Credit Line
Mr. and Mrs. Richard W. Whitehill Art Purchase Endowment Fund 2024.6.gg
Public Domain
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Location
Not on view
Print
?

Did You Know?

This album includes some of the earliest photographs of Afghanistan.

Description

The subject of this album is the Second Anglo-Afghan War, which was fought from 1878 to 1880. John Burke was the first photographer to photograph extensively in Afghanistan and the main photographer covering that conflict. The technology of the day did not permit action shots of battles. As is usual for early conflict photography, the pictures are landscapes of the sites of momentous incidents, views of camps and civil and military infrastructure, and portraits of the soldiers and their leaders.
A horizontally oriented albumen print depicts a winding river cutting through a craggy mountain gorge. On the left, an eroded bank features spindly trees with sparse branches. A narrow island splits the water, flowing past a broad, pebbled shore on the right. Dense textures mark the steep mountainsides as they recede into a hazy distance. The entire scene is rendered in warm, muted tones, capturing an undulating, panoramic view of the rugged landscape.

The River Gorge

1878–80

John Burke

(Irish, 1845–1915)
Ireland

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