Twee metalen borden, opgesteld tijdens de Exposition Rétrospective van 1873 in Tours, Frankrijk 1873

Gabriel Blaise captured these two metal plates in a photograph, displayed at the 1873 Exposition Rétrospective in Tours, France. The composition, dominated by circular forms, invites us to consider symmetry and the play of light and shadow. Each plate features a central medallion, surrounded by a ring of smaller circles, creating a visual rhythm. Blaise’s choice of monochrome emphasizes texture and form, highlighting the craftsmanship of the plates themselves. The photograph serves as a sign, pointing not only to the plates but to the broader cultural context of 19th-century France. It evokes questions about craft, display, and how objects acquire meaning through exhibition. The plates, rendered in stark detail, become emblems of a bygone era, frozen in time. The photograph’s formal qualities invite us to consider the semiotics of display, and the power of images to transform everyday objects into artifacts of cultural and historical significance.