Gezicht op Parijs c. 1865 - 1875

Curator: This is Édouard Dontenville's "Gezicht op Parijs," or "View of Paris," an albumen print thought to have been produced sometime between 1865 and 1875. The city unfolds before us. What strikes you first? Editor: The monochromatic tones lend it a timeless feel. There's an undeniable somber quality, especially considering the context. A Romantic cityscape presented through photography… It feels slightly at odds. Curator: Yes, photography itself was in its relatively early stages of industrialization, being more widely accessible to both professional and amateur audiences during this time. Think about the materiality of the albumen print, this incredibly thin layer of egg white containing the image. What does that suggest to you? Editor: Labor, of course! The albumen prints used egg whites, often from thousands of eggs sourced from industrial farms, which really complicates this idea of "Romanticism". But the processing needed skilled darkroom workers, highlighting that complex, shifting labor dynamic of the mid-19th century, wouldn’t you say? Also, consider the environmental toll! Curator: Certainly, especially as compared to something like oil painting on canvas at the time. From an activist perspective, the choice to render the city with photographic means rather than an oil painting is an interesting reflection on democracy. The materiality, this democratization of the image, also suggests something about its distribution and use. It's more accessible, meant for widespread circulation. Editor: It captures a pivotal moment. This image is not just about aesthetics but about the lived realities and socio-political contexts shaping Paris. Who gets to depict Paris and how? Curator: Precisely. Its very production speaks to larger historical movements that complicate its reception today. One might see an elegant cityscape, while another notes the industrial and labor processes. Editor: I like how it unsettles the surface. Romanticism as a framework, as we uncover its relationship to industrial processes, colonial exploits and questions around labor practices makes this a deeply complicated image that has to be viewed holistically and through many frameworks. Curator: Indeed. Seeing those tensions opens us to wider and deeper analysis of Parisian visual culture, and 19th-century society at large.