Gezicht op het Koningsplein met de Sint-Jacob-op-Koudenberg en het standbeeld van Godfried van Bouillon 1866 - 1870

Jules Hippolyte Quéval created this stereograph, a photographic technique, capturing the Koningsplein with the Sint-Jacob-op-Koudenberg and the statue of Godfried van Bouillon. Notice how the composition unfolds in layers. The stark foreground, paved with precise brickwork, meets the imposing architectural structure of the church, its classical facade and robust columns dominating the central space. Quéval skillfully uses the stereographic format to emphasize depth and volume. This play between foreground detail and background monumentality invites the viewer to consider spatial relationships and perspective. Quéval’s stereograph invites us to consider how photography, even in its nascent stages, engages with representation and ideology. The formal elements work together, constructing a narrative about space, power, and cultural memory. We are left to ponder the interplay between the constructed image and the historical narratives it seeks to convey.