Gezicht op een kustplaats (vermoedelijk) te Spanje 1862 - 1876

Jean Andrieu made this stereograph of a Spanish coastal town sometime in the mid-19th century. Stereographs like this one were made to be viewed through a special device, which created a three-dimensional effect. This was achieved by presenting slightly different images to each eye, mimicking the way we see the world. The photograph itself is a record of a specific place and time, but it's also a product of industrial processes. The materials – glass plates, chemicals, paper – were all manufactured. The very act of taking the photograph involved a complex series of chemical reactions, each of which had to be carefully controlled. And of course, the image was then reproduced and distributed on a mass scale. What’s particularly interesting to me is how photography democratized image-making, changing the way we appreciate art. No longer were images the exclusive domain of trained painters and sculptors. Andrieu’s image is a reminder of the industrial processes that make art accessible, and that challenge the boundaries of the artistic field.