Gezicht op mogelijk de Rue Royale in Spa 1866 - 1870

Here is a stereoscopic photograph of what is possibly the Rue Royale in Spa, captured by Jules Hippolyte Quéval. The photograph presents us with a seemingly straightforward street view in the European tradition, yet the stark, almost vacant street, flanked by buildings, evokes a deeper sense of the uncanny. The tree looming to the left of the frame feels like an interruption, a symbol of nature’s persistent encroachment upon human constructs. Consider the tree. Its presence echoes through art history, a visual motif representing life, growth, but also a reminder of mortality. The deliberate placement of the tree—obscuring yet framing the scene—suggests a contemplation on urban life and the natural world. Think of ancient myths of sacred groves, the symbol of the world tree, Yggdrasil, a connection between heaven and earth. The tree embodies not only physical but spiritual and psychological connections. Perhaps in the act of framing the Rue Royale with foliage, Quéval invites us to ponder the interplay between nature and civilization. The dialectic tension—a visual encoding of our complex relationship with the world around us, both comforting and menacing.