Shadows, Streams, Mt. Saint Michel

Despite its small size, this landscape conveys a sense of sublime grandeur. A shadow of the French abbey Mont Saint Michel, perched on top of an island mountain, overlies the surrounding landscape. Deep space is suggested both by the conical form stretched on the sand below and the streams whose contours undulate far into the distant horizon. This effect is heightened by the exquisite detail and subtle tonal gradations of the photographic print. Mont Saint Michel in Normandy is a remote and mysterious site. The water surrounding the mount recedes at certain points of the day during which visitors can make the trek to the isle along the shifting sands. The spiritual resonance of William Clift's scene is underscored by his unique perspective in which the scale and presence of the mount is only seen and felt indirectly.