Great Pagoda, Tanjore c. 1870

Curator: This is Samuel Bourne's photograph, "Great Pagoda, Tanjore," from the Harvard Art Museums. The print itself measures about 29 by 24 centimeters. Editor: The sheer verticality is breathtaking. It's not just tall, but it feels like a direct connection to the heavens, doesn't it? Curator: Bourne was fascinated by the technical challenges of capturing such immense structures. Think about the logistics: transporting equipment, preparing the plates, all in that climate. The materiality of the photographic process becomes quite apparent. Editor: Absolutely. And the intricate carvings, the layering of forms... It's all meant to evoke a sense of cosmic order, repeated and reinforced in the architectural symbolism. Curator: The presence of those small figures at the base also highlights the scale, and possibly even the colonial gaze in the late 19th century and Bourne's perspective on Indian labor. Editor: Indeed, and while that's crucial to consider, I'm drawn to the timeless quality—the enduring power of faith expressed through visual form. Curator: Well, I'll be thinking more about how the production of this image participated in a global exchange of visual culture and commodities. Editor: And I'll be pondering the deep-seated human need to reach for something beyond ourselves, something this pagoda so powerfully represents.