Woonhuis van Rubens in Antwerpen 1873 - 1890

Editor: So, this is "Woonhuis van Rubens in Antwerpen," or Rubens' House in Antwerp, from between 1873 and 1890. It’s a photograph of the building’s facade, but it’s also presented as a stereograph – those double images you view with a special device for a 3D effect. It makes the architecture feel imposing, almost like a stage set. What captures your eye about this image? Curator: Oh, what doesn’t grab my eye! First, that photographic sepia tone; it immediately transports you to another era, doesn’t it? The past bleeds through, literally. Beyond that, it is so clearly trying to create something more out of the mere capturing of this amazing house that it goes beyond the factual recording of architecture. We’re seeing a romanticized version of history, designed to be admired through the special lens of the stereoscope. Think of it: holding a piece of Rubens’ world in your hands, experiencing it with depth. Editor: So it's less about architectural documentation and more about creating a feeling, a connection to the past? Curator: Precisely. It is trying to evoke an emotional response and stir your imagination. These stereographs were popular entertainment, weren't they? A window to the world and other times that would otherwise be unseeable for those holding them. Editor: That really shifts my perspective on it. It’s not just a picture of a building, it’s a curated experience. Curator: Indeed! The photographer becomes a storyteller, weaving fact and feeling, and creating not just an image, but a shared sense of wonder. Something tells me old Peter Paul himself would have loved this photographic attempt to create space.