Group of Women Looking at Stereoscope Photographs before 1868

Editor: This is "Group of Women Looking at Stereoscope Photographs," made before 1868 by Jacob Spoel. It looks like an ordinary scene, maybe some women enjoying each other's company in a domestic space... But what’s interesting to you about this painting? Curator: It is precisely the idea of an ‘ordinary scene’ that I find so compelling. On the surface, it's a glimpse into domesticity, but look closer. Who has access to such leisure? These women, engaged with this new technology, the stereoscope, hint at a burgeoning middle class and their changing roles within society. Do you notice how they are clustered, sharing the experience? Editor: I see it now, there's almost a sense of community here. They're not isolated in their enjoyment; they're sharing a new way of seeing the world together. Curator: Exactly. The stereoscope itself becomes a symbol. Consider who had access to these images. What narratives were being consumed? The women’s gazes and posture suggests this new technology gave women an agency to engage with ideas beyond the domestic walls that, prior, confined their interactions within strict limits and power dynamics. It enabled connection on an unprecedented level. Editor: That's a point that had eluded me completely, but it makes perfect sense! It speaks to women claiming a space in intellectual life through something as seemingly simple as viewing photographs. Curator: It encourages us to question how visual media can either reinforce existing power structures or provide platforms for challenging them. Looking at the context through the lens of feminism adds so many extra layers of historical relevance to an initially seemingly plain artwork. Editor: I am walking away from it seeing the piece with whole new eyes! Thanks.