Gezicht op het exterieur en een gezicht op het interieur van de smederij van de École Nationale Superieure d'Horticulture in Versailles, Frankrijk before 1900

This photograph captures both the exterior and interior views of the forge at the École Nationale Supérieure d'Horticulture in Versailles. The composition is stark, bisected neatly to contrast the orderly facade of the building with the cluttered activity within the forge. Note how the linear structure of the building’s exterior, with its regimented windows and classical lines, opposes the interior’s chaos. The light in the exterior shot illuminates the building's geometry, emphasizing its design and the structured environment of the formal garden. Conversely, the interior is dominated by oblique lines and an abundance of equipment. The play of light and shadow within the forge articulates a space of labor and transformation. This duality challenges fixed meanings of ‘work’ and ‘education’, suggesting a tension between the controlled environment of learning and the raw, transformative power of labor. The photograph functions as a semiotic text, coding both the ideals of horticultural science and the practical realities of craftsmanship.