El Arco van de kerk Santa Maria in Burgos, Spanje c. 1850 - 1900

Curator: What strikes me first is the imposing scale. You really get a sense of the massiveness of this archway, the "Arco de Santa Maria in Burgos, Spanje" as captured here in this photograph. Editor: The albumen print really does emphasize that tactile stone quality. You can almost feel the roughhewn surfaces, imagine the labor involved in quarrying and shaping each block. I wonder about the organization of that labor; was it sourced locally, tied to the Church? Curator: Quite possibly. This work, dating roughly from 1850 to 1900, by Juan Laurent really represents the power that the Church exerted in this period. Photography was relatively new and gaining traction in documenting civic structures like this. Editor: So the church as patron, wielding not only social influence, but also benefiting from developing photographic technology. Is this documentary, or promotional, for instance? I am wondering who commissioned this print and for what purpose. It clearly portrays a specific viewpoint. Curator: Good question. The viewpoint here could indicate its role to symbolize both civic and religious strength. It definitely served to broadcast the image of the Church but it also had broader use to sell the idea of travel to Burgos for those outside of Spain at the time. It may have helped shape Burgos’s public image. Editor: And an image carefully constructed, considering how new photography was as a medium, particularly with the lengthy exposures required for albumen prints. One must imagine the bustling city subdued into a moment of relative stillness for the picture to work. I would be interested to study how the conditions of its making shaped what aspects are chosen and ultimately prioritized. Curator: Right, and consider how photography itself was received. It carried a certain weight of objectivity, but the photographer had their role in capturing and distributing an intended perspective of what was deemed noteworthy for dissemination at that time. Editor: This image is far more than a straightforward rendering of architecture; it's the end product of social conditions and human ingenuity combined. I’m just riveted by thinking through all the steps involved in producing this picture. Curator: It has shaped how this city landmark has been conceived and then regarded, beyond those that directly engage with the architectural space. It’s also changed how urban spaces get seen in their own periods, a really rich subject of inquiry.