Gezicht op Onze-Lieve-Vrouwekathedraal en het standbeeld van Rubens op de Groenplaats, Antwerpen 1855 - 1885

Curator: This is an albumen print dating from between 1855 and 1885. It's an anonymous work titled, "Gezicht op Onze-Lieve-Vrouwekathedraal en het standbeeld van Rubens op de Groenplaats, Antwerpen" – A view of the Cathedral of Our Lady and the statue of Rubens on the Groenplaats, Antwerp. Editor: Immediately, I’m struck by the somber tone despite it being a cityscape. The muted sepia tones give it an almost melancholic air, especially coupled with what looks like a very still square. Curator: Indeed. Albumen prints, popular then, lend that characteristic warmth, yet there's a starkness too. Photography in this period was still finding its footing, both artistically and as a means of documenting the urban landscape. Editor: Looking at it from a contemporary lens, I find it interesting how these historical depictions of urban spaces often unintentionally glorify figures like Rubens. The photographic process itself was shaped by technological advancements but it raises the question of how visual representation impacts the legacy and continued power dynamics these monuments represent. Curator: That’s a pertinent point. We need to contextualize it. The image immortalizes the Cathedral, and of course the statue, celebrating not just artistic achievement but the established social and religious structures of the time. The Cathedral, as the backdrop, signifies the importance of religion in the life of the city. Editor: Exactly. What power structures were consciously or unconsciously being perpetuated by the artist and what does that say about our modern gaze upon history. What would a modern take on this location be in service of and how do we critically assess it? Curator: And to appreciate it, we must also reflect on the rapidly changing technology— photography—used here to frame those perspectives. This particular technology offered unprecedented levels of objective detail. That’s key to how urban spaces began to be understood and marketed as visual assets in European centers. Editor: Absolutely, which highlights that photography, from its beginnings, had its own implicit biases based on the culture, subject, and perspective that it was attempting to record. Food for thought, given that this albumen print of the Cathedral of Our Lady and statue of Rubens exists today within a museum context! Curator: Indeed, the afterlife of images... something to always keep in mind.