Karelsbrug en het monument voor keizer Karel IV, Praag 1868 - 1890

This photograph by O.J. captures the Karelsbrug and monument to Emperor Karel IV in Prague. The photograph is presented as a stereoscopic card, which, when viewed through a stereoscope, creates a three-dimensional image. Notice how the composition is carefully structured to enhance the depth of field. The monument is positioned in the foreground, with the bridge and its imposing tower receding into the distance. The use of light and shadow accentuates the textures of the stone, emphasizing the solidity and permanence of these historical structures. The symmetry of the architectural elements – the tower mirroring itself in the stereoscopic view, the repetitive arches of the bridge – lends the photograph a sense of balance and order. But it also challenges fixed meanings. The stereoscopic format plays with our perception, creating an illusion of depth that questions the flatness inherent in photography. This tension between the real and the represented invites us to consider how images shape our understanding of space and history. Consider how the formal qualities of symmetry and depth, typical of stereoscopic images, prompt us to question our perception and representation of historical space.