Gezicht op de Grieks-Orthodoxe Kerk van de Heilige Drie-eenheid in Wenen, Oostenrijk 1865 - 1891

Editor: This albumen print from sometime between 1865 and 1891, attributed to Hermann Heid, shows a view of the Greek Orthodox Holy Trinity Church in Vienna. The light gives a sort of ghostly feel to the figures on the street, like they are not really there. What do you see when you look at this photograph? Curator: The process itself interests me, more than the image. Consider the albumen print: the egg whites used to bind the photographic chemicals to the paper. We see this architectural scene through a very specific material lens, one involving labour and specific economic practices of the time. What was the cost of eggs then? Who was producing them? And how did that affect access to image making? Editor: That's fascinating, I had not thought about the actual material cost and labour involved. So the value isn't just in the image itself, but in understanding the whole economic and social system behind its creation? Curator: Precisely. The “Gezicht op de Grieks-Orthodoxe Kerk” is more than a cityscape. It's a record of material processes, market forces, and the accessibility of photographic technology during that period. The way these materials are consumed gives a peek into social stratification, class, and cultural values of the late 19th century. Do you agree that focusing on the materials tells more of a human story than the architecture? Editor: I think I do now. Thinking about it, focusing only on the aesthetics is missing a large part of the picture. I will consider the materials involved in art much more now. Curator: Indeed, seeing art as the product of materials and processes transforms our understanding. Editor: Definitely a different view, it has been very informative.