Fontein van sultan Ahmed III, Istanboel 1861 - 1870

Editor: Here we have Charles Gaudin's "Fountain of Sultan Ahmed III, Istanbul," a photograph, likely a print, created sometime between 1861 and 1870. It depicts an ornate fountain in a public square, with people milling about. The overall impression is very… staged. What do you make of it? Curator: The photograph speaks to a particular moment in the West's engagement with the "Orient," fueled by colonialism and a desire to document and possess these cultures, wouldn't you agree? It exoticizes Islamic architecture. Note the emphasis on the fountain's intricate tilework and its imposing structure. Editor: I hadn't thought of it as being "possessive" before, but I see your point about it being "staged" and exoticized. Why present it like this? Curator: Consider the power dynamics at play. The photograph was made for Western audiences eager to consume images of a culture they deemed exotic and other, and to fit within the tropes of Orientalism. Notice the seemingly casual figures that add an element of orientalist flair. How do these elements shape your reading of the piece now? Editor: It feels less like an innocent snapshot now, and more like a carefully constructed narrative reinforcing existing power structures. The very act of documenting it this way…almost diminishes its authenticity. Curator: Precisely! It's crucial to recognize how art, even in photographic form, participates in constructing and perpetuating dominant narratives. Gaudin profits on representing the East as an exoticised object to a European audience. Editor: That's fascinating! I initially saw only an interesting architectural study. Now I see the historical context gives it a totally new level of complexity. Curator: And it is that critical awareness, that lens, that lets us unpack the layers of meaning embedded within seemingly straightforward images.