Gezicht op het Place de la Concorde in Parijs 1860 - 1890

This anonymous photograph captures the Place de la Concorde in Paris. The photograph presents a wide view of the plaza, showcasing the fountains, the obelisk of Luxor, and the surrounding buildings. Historically, the Place de la Concorde was built on complex social dynamics. It was initially named Place Louis XV and was the site where the guillotine was erected during the French Revolution. A space that once hosted public executions, including those of King Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette, was later transformed. The image presents a sanitized vision of urban life, yet it does not erase the location’s complex past. The anonymous nature of the photograph raises questions about perspective and authority. Who chose this angle, and what story does it tell about Paris and its people? What do we lose when the photographer is unknown? The photograph invites us to reflect on how public spaces carry layers of history and memory.