Gezicht op de Kathedraal van het Heilig Kruis en Sint Eulalia in Barcelona before 1890

This photogravure of the Cathedral of the Holy Cross and Saint Eulalia in Barcelona was made by Hauser y Menet. Photogravure, like photography, emerged in a historical context deeply entangled with colonialism and orientalism. The act of capturing and disseminating images of foreign lands often served to reinforce power dynamics between the colonizer and the colonized. Consider the cathedral itself, a symbol of religious and cultural dominance. Images of European cathedrals, like this one, often circulated as emblems of civilization and progress. The composition, the angle, and the framing all contribute to the construction of a particular narrative. What stories does it tell about faith, power, and cultural identity? And finally, what does it mean to look at this image today, knowing the layers of history and ideology embedded within it? How does it feel to engage with a representation that may simultaneously evoke admiration and critique?