Gezicht op de kust van Algiers, Algerije before 1893

This is a photograph of the coast of Algiers in Algeria by Jules Gervais-Courtellemont. It was made at an unspecified date. The image comes from a book. This image speaks to the cultural relationship between France and Algeria. Between 1830 and 1962, Algeria was a colony of France. It was viewed by some in France as a place of adventure and exoticism. The Musée d'Orsay in Paris has a large collection of paintings of Algeria by French artists. Institutions like this helped shape the public's perception of Algeria, with an emphasis on its difference from France. A historian can investigate such artworks by researching exhibition history, critical reviews, and colonial archives. The meaning of this artwork is contingent on the power dynamics between France and Algeria at the time it was made.