Voorgevel van het Maria Pia-ziekenhuis te Luanda before 1886

José Augusto da Cunha Moraes made this photograph of the Maria Pia Hospital in Luanda. The photogravure process transforms the architectural design into a tangible image, capturing light and shadow to emphasize the building's form. This choice of material influences the appearance of the image, and the qualities of the photograph. The monochromatic tones lend the structure a sense of gravity, perhaps intended to communicate the authority of colonial medicine. The material qualities evoke the slow, deliberate labor of constructing both the building and the image itself. The techniques engaged with both architecture and photography reflect skilled traditions that belong to histories of creative practices and aesthetics. The photogravure creates a sense of permanence, and highlights the work and ideas of the architect. Ultimately, understanding the materials, making, and historical context is critical to appreciating the photograph's meaning. It also challenges traditional distinctions between design and craft.