Standbeeld van Naatje op de Dam in Amsterdam 1856 - 1890

This is a stereograph of the Naatje statue on the Dam Square in Amsterdam, created by Pieter Oosterhuis. As a stereograph, this artwork depends on a distinctly industrial process. The camera had to be carefully calibrated to create two nearly identical images, which, when viewed through a stereoscope, create an illusion of three-dimensionality. The real art here, in a way, is the photographic process itself. The artist had to have a deep understanding of optics and chemistry to coax these images into being. But beyond the process, think about the context of the work. The statue, standing in a public square, embodies civic pride and collective identity. The stereograph, then, makes this monument portable, reproducible. It democratizes access to this symbol, turning it into a consumer object available to anyone with a stereoscope. The materials and process speak to a new era of mass production and consumption, challenging the older, unique monument with its aura of exclusivity.