Fotoreproductie van een gezicht op het driehoekig Forum before 1895

This is an anonymous photographic reproduction of the Triangular Forum. Photography is a fascinating medium because, unlike painting or sculpture, it seems to arise spontaneously. Yet, of course, photography is also a made thing. The gelatin silver process seen here, which would have been printed on paper, was the dominant technology for a century, from the 1890s onward. It allowed for a sharp image and a wide range of tones. What I find compelling is how this reproductive technology was rapidly taken up for art historical purposes. Photography allowed ancient sites to be accurately captured and shared. This democratization of images allowed a wider public to see and learn about archaeological discoveries, furthering the study of the ancient world. When considering this image, we might ask ourselves if photography is best understood as an artistic medium or as a mode of documentation. In truth, it is probably both.