Gezicht op het Lac d'Oô c. 1860 - 1880

E. Soule captured this view of the Lac d'Oô using a stereoscopic photography. The composition divides the scene horizontally, with the weighty mountains and sky occupying the upper half, mirrored by the placid lake below. A cascading waterfall slices vertically through the center, drawing the eye down its length. This image can be viewed through the lens of structuralism, where the landscape elements function almost as signifiers in a larger symbolic language. The mountains might represent permanence and the sublime, while the water suggests reflection and change. The stereoscopic effect adds depth, but also doubles the image, which invites a semiotic reading where the repetition emphasizes the mirroring effect, destabilizing the boundary between reality and reflection. Consider how Soule’s manipulation of perspective, combined with the subtle tonal range, evokes a sense of stillness and the potential for infinite regression, questioning our perceptions of space and representation.