Égouts De Paris 1861

Felix Nadar created this photograph of the Paris sewers, Égouts De Paris, using artificial lighting. Nadar's pioneering work opens up the hidden world of the Parisian sewers, and points to their importance in the functioning of a modern metropolis. This image was made in Paris at a time of great social and technological change. The large-scale modernization of Paris was underway, including the construction of new sewer systems. Photography itself was a relatively new technology and its relationship to art and documentation was still being defined. Nadar's photographs of the sewers served a dual purpose. On the one hand, they showcased the engineering marvels of the city. On the other, they drew attention to the unsanitary underbelly of urban life. Nadar's work reminds us that the interpretation of art is always connected to the circumstances of its creation. By looking at the social, technological, and institutional contexts, we can better understand the complex meanings of art.