Vélodrome d'Hiver [vertical format] 1929

William Horace Littlefield made this print of the Vélodrome d'Hiver in 1929. The print shows an abstract view of the velodrome, a cycling track. In Littlefield’s time, the Vélodrome d'Hiver was a popular sports and entertainment venue in Paris, France. But its later history casts a long shadow. In 1942, the French police used the Vélodrome as a detention center for over 13,000 Jewish people before they were deported to concentration camps. Littlefield's image creates meaning through its abstraction. Are we looking at a simple sports venue or a place of confinement? The image doesn't offer an easy answer. Historians might consult archives, newspapers, and survivor testimonies to understand the Vélodrome's complex history. The meaning of art is contingent on social and institutional context, and it's our job to shine a light on that context.