Exterieur van de Otto Heinrichsbau in Schloss Heidelberg, Duitsland

This is L. Meder’s photograph of the exterior of the Otto Heinrichsbau at Heidelberg Castle in Germany. Though undated, it speaks volumes about the historical moment in which it was made, and the relationship between photography and the construction of national identity. The Heidelberg castle, a well-known historical landmark, exemplifies the German Renaissance style, rich with sculptural details. Taking its cue from painting, photography in the mid-19th century saw itself as having a public role in documenting and preserving cultural heritage. In Germany, these images served a nationalist project. The aestheticisation of historical buildings was part of a wider movement that looked back to a mythologised medieval past as a way of unifying the present. Photographs like this one therefore offer us an insight into the social and institutional conditions that shape what we value from the past. By examining the visual codes, cultural references, and historical associations within the image, we begin to understand better the politics of imagery. Art history helps us to understand the meaning of art as something that is contingent on social and institutional context.