Colosseum, Rome 1861 - 1878

This stereoscopic photograph of the Colosseum in Rome was captured by Ernest Eléonor Pierre Lamy. The sepia tones and the symmetrical mirroring of the Colosseum, dissected by a central figure, invite us to consider the interplay between presence and absence, ruin and monument. Lamy’s choice to use stereoscopy creates a doubled image of the Colosseum. This repetition of architectural form disrupts the singular authority of the monument. The placement of a lone figure at the photograph's center grounds the vast ruin to a human scale while simultaneously emphasizing the Colosseum’s imposing structure. The Colosseum itself, represented through light and shadow, invites reflection on the nature of architectural space and its cultural meanings. Through the stereoscopic doubling, Lamy challenges the traditional notions of architectural representation. He prompts viewers to consider how repeated images can reveal the tensions between past and present. By doing so, the photograph becomes more than a mere depiction; it evolves into a meditation on how we perceive and interpret the spaces that shape our collective memory.