Interieur van Real Monasterio de La Cartuja te Granada c. 1885 - 1893

Señan y Gonzalez captured the interior of the Real Monasterio de La Cartuja in Granada using photography, a medium that was then still relatively new. Consider how spaces of worship often reflect both devotion and power. The opulence and detail in this photograph of the monastery church aren’t merely aesthetic. They speak volumes about the cultural and political forces at play in Spain during the time this image was made. Built following the Reconquista, the monastery stands as a testament to the Catholic Monarchs' triumph and the expulsion of other religious influences. The image invites us to contemplate the ways in which religious institutions historically leveraged art and architecture to solidify their dominance and shape cultural identity. This is not just a picture of a pretty church, it is a visual document which represents a complex history of cultural dominance, religious expression, and the complicated intersections of power, identity, and artistic representation.