Gezicht op La Madeleine in Parijs c. 1859 - 1865

This stereo card depicts the Church of La Madeleine in Paris, made by F. Chevalier and A. Champeaux. The photograph presents a classical architectural structure, replicated in two frames to create a three-dimensional effect when viewed through a stereoscope. The sepia tone lends a nostalgic and historical quality to the image. Formally, the photograph emphasizes symmetry and balance. The temple-like facade, complete with towering Corinthian columns and a triangular pediment, asserts a sense of monumentality. The replicated image plays with depth and perspective, inviting the viewer to question the nature of representation and reality. This relates to the structuralist notion that reality is constructed through systems of representation. By presenting a doubled image, the artists disrupt the singular viewpoint, suggesting the instability of meaning. The photograph serves as a sign, not merely pointing to a real place but also engaging with ideas about space, perception, and the construction of knowledge. It asks us to consider how our understanding is shaped through visual media.