Gezicht op een stad aan de voet van de Etna 1862 - 1876

Jean Andrieu created this stereoscopic photograph, offering a "View of a City at the Foot of Mount Etna". The muted sepia tones evoke a distant past, but it's the composition that commands our attention. The image is structured around a central street that recedes into the distance, flanked by buildings of varying heights. The rigid geometry of the architecture is softened by the rounded forms of the domes and arches. The stereoscopic effect adds depth, pulling the viewer into the urban landscape. The photograph flattens space, yet complicates our perception of it. This tension between flatness and depth speaks to the broader artistic concerns of the period. Andrieu is not just documenting a city, but also exploring the very nature of representation and how we perceive the world around us.