Verwijderen van staar tijdens een oogoperatie door middel van een tegenpunctie before 1873

A. de Montméja created this photograph of a cataract removal using a counter-puncture, sometime after his birth in 1841. The image presents a striking, if gruesome, view into the medical practices of the time. Photographs like this offer a window into the evolving relationship between medicine, technology, and representation in 19th-century Europe. France was at the forefront of medical innovation and photography. Here, we see the adoption of new surgical techniques coupled with photography's ability to document and disseminate knowledge. This blend speaks to the growing authority of empirical observation. The stark realism might unsettle today, yet it reflects a belief in progress through science. Art historians would look into the medical literature of the period, and institutional records of hospitals and medical schools, in order to better understand the importance of images like this in the history of medicine. Ultimately, this photograph reminds us that art can often be found in the most unexpected places.