Gezicht op Sankt Goar 1877

This stereoscopic card, titled 'Gezicht op Sankt Goar,' was created in 1877 by Sophus Williams. The sepia tones evoke a sense of nostalgia, with the panoramic view presented in two near-identical images designed to create a three-dimensional effect when viewed through a stereoscope. The composition is neatly divided into horizontal registers: the foreground is filled with foliage, beyond this we see a structure overlooking the bay, in the midground the town stretches along the bank, and finally, the background has the river and distant hills. The linear architecture of the buildings and docks contrast with the more organic forms of the landscape. This structured arrangement invites us to consider how the photographic medium, here, engages with the aesthetic traditions of landscape painting, while at the same time presenting a modern, technological means of capturing and experiencing space. The stereoscopic effect destabilizes our perception, offering a simulacrum of reality and prompting us to reflect on the nature of representation itself.