Cheval de Marly, Paris 1934

Editor: This is "Cheval de Marly, Paris," a 1934 gelatin silver print by Ilse Bing. I’m really drawn to the contrast between the classic statue and what feels like a very modern photographic style. What are your initial thoughts? Curator: The ‘Cheval de Marly’ statues were themselves copies moved to the Louvre in the 1980s, weren’t they? Bing's photograph presents us with not just an image of power, but also prompts reflection on its shifting representations. Editor: Shifting representations...Interesting! So, it's more than just a photograph of a sculpture. Curator: Exactly. Bing, positioned within the New Vision movement, often played with perspectives, questioning traditional modes of seeing. Consider the role of public sculpture, meant to inspire and project authority. What happens when a modern lens reframes it? Editor: Does the modernity somehow democratize it? Take it down a peg? Curator: Perhaps. By utilizing photography, Bing arguably democratizes art viewing, bringing iconic symbols into the reach of the masses through print media. She makes accessible what was meant to be monumental. Do you see that playing out here? Editor: I do now, especially considering how many postcards or prints of famous places existed back then. This could easily fit that format! So, it is about democratizing access to imagery, by making public art, accessible. Thanks for the perspective! Curator: Of course! And, as we contemplate the politics of imagery, let's remember Bing's own experience as a Jewish woman in pre-war Paris and her eventual immigration to the US. All of this inevitably influenced her view and her framing of the world. Editor: I will definitely keep that in mind when looking at her works.