Gezicht op het Palais du Pharo te Marseille 1862 - 1876

Jean Andrieu created this stereoscopic photograph titled "Gezicht op het Palais du Pharo te Marseille." Here, we find a contrast between the opulence of the Palais du Pharo perched atop the cliff and the modest, workaday life unfolding on the shore below. The boats, the lumber, and the simple structures suggest a community deeply connected to the sea, laboring in its midst. Andrieu, who was active during a time of significant social and economic change in France, would have been aware of class divisions and their impact on society. The photograph serves as a meditation on the socio-economic landscape of 19th-century Marseille. It invites us to consider the lives of the individuals who lived and worked in the shadow of the Palais du Pharo, and to reflect on the ways in which their experiences were shaped by the broader forces of history.