Twee gezichten op toegangshekken van de École Nationale Superieure d'Horticulture in Versailles, Frankrijk before 1900

This is a monochromatic photographic print presenting two views of the entrance gates to the École Nationale Supérieure d'Horticulture in Versailles. The dominant visual element is the intricate ironwork of the gates, which creates a structured yet somewhat austere facade. The composition employs symmetry and repetition, emphasizing the architectural formality of the setting. The use of grayscale flattens the image and highlights the textural contrasts between the solid masonry and the delicate tracery of the iron bars, subtly conveying a sense of control and order characteristic of classical French garden design. The photograph operates within a semiotic framework where gates traditionally symbolize transition and access. Here, however, the gates also suggest a visual barrier, presenting questions about the institutional control and cultivated nature of knowledge within the horticultural school. The photograph functions not only as a record but also as a complex representation of cultivated space.