Pagoda on the Execution Ground, Foochow 1869

"Pagoda on the Execution Ground, Foochow" is a photograph by John Thomson from 1869, now housed at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. The image shows a towering pagoda, a symbol of Buddhist faith, against the backdrop of a desolate execution ground, emphasizing the contrasting forces of life and death. The starkness of the scene is heightened by the meticulous detail captured in the photograph, making it a powerful testament to Thomson's journalistic approach to capturing the realities of 19th-century China. Thomson's work in China, particularly in capturing the lives and traditions of ordinary people, played a significant role in introducing the West to this vast and mysterious nation.