Gezicht op een plein met fontein 1860 - 1900

This photograph by J. Trésorier captures a square with a fountain, a moment frozen in time. The rise of photography coincided with a period of intense urban transformation across Europe. Consider Paris during the Second Empire. Under Baron Haussmann, the city underwent radical reconstruction. Old neighborhoods were demolished to make way for wide boulevards, grand public spaces, and modern infrastructure. This photograph may well be documenting these changes. Note the architecture, the design of the square, and the style of the fountain. These were all deliberate choices reflecting the values and aspirations of the ruling elite. Images like these were carefully constructed to project an image of progress, order, and stability. But we need to ask: progress for whom? Whose stories are told, and whose are left out? Historical research, including archival documents and urban plans, can help us understand the social and political context in which this photograph was made, to reflect on the complex relationship between art, power, and urban change.