Interieur van de Spiegelzaal in het paleis van Versailles 1858

Here's a stereoscopic photograph of the Hall of Mirrors in the Palace of Versailles, made by Florent Grau. It’s a fascinating document of a space designed to impress, not just through its scale, but through the sheer labor involved in its construction and upkeep. Think about the quarrying of the marble for the floors and columns, the blowing of the glass for those iconic mirrors, and the intensive woodworking needed to realize the ornate details. Each of these required skilled artisans, working long hours. Beyond the craft, there's the broader social context. Versailles was a political tool. A carefully crafted projection of power. It was created to awe visitors, and consolidate the king's authority. It was a way of visually communicating France’s economic and colonial prowess, enabled through intensive extraction of natural resources, and the exploitation of labor. This image captures not just a beautiful space, but a complex web of materials, making, and social power. By looking closely, we begin to understand the historical forces that shaped it.