Gezicht op het Escorial vanaf een treinstation c. 1857 - 1880

Curator: My first thought? Eerie serenity. Like a forgotten empire slumbering behind a veil of trees. Editor: It's a striking composition for sure. Here we have an albumen print entitled “Gezicht op het Escorial vanaf een treinstation” taken by Juan Laurent sometime between 1857 and 1880. It’s currently held at the Rijksmuseum. What are your impressions? Curator: You know, the train station detail gets me. To think someone stood here, caught between the modern promise of transport and the weight of history looming behind…It makes me consider the speed of progress. And loss. There’s an ache here. Editor: Indeed. The placement of the Escorial—that massive symbol of Spanish power—is very deliberate. Its visual dominance is subtly challenged by the implied presence of the train station, signifying a shifting social and political landscape during this period. Curator: But look at the detail in the foliage! That feathery texture contrasting against the stark, angular architecture... It feels symbolic somehow. Nature reclaiming, slowly, what's been imposed upon it. Editor: Perhaps it’s also the rapid development during this period and associated impacts of industrialisation that cannot be divorced from discussions around land, labour, and ultimately, environmental and social change. Curator: Yes. Makes me think of nature as both witness and agent. Is that weird? I wonder if Laurent saw it too... or if he just thought it would make a good picture? Editor: The act of photographing itself places Laurent within a network of power dynamics that are shaped and mediated by social class, imperialism, and nascent forms of globalization. Curator: Well, I'm left pondering how much intention really goes into these old shots and I can appreciate that things are in flux and the train is ready to depart. Editor: It highlights that period in history, making space for us to reflect on those tensions and changes still affecting society.