Nam-Vian - Tombeaux 1866

Curator: This albumen print, "Nam-Vian - Tombeaux," was captured by Émile Gsell around 1866. It is now part of the Metropolitan Museum of Art's collection, inviting us to contemplate Cambodian architecture through the lens of 19th-century photography. Editor: Mmm, my initial feeling is that of discovering something secret and old. Like finding long-forgotten temples half-swallowed by the jungle. There's this strange serenity to the decay, almost soothing. Curator: The “tombeaux,” or tombs, are set amidst dense foliage, creating a visual dialogue between architecture and nature. The architecture itself evokes so much! Note the layering of forms, a universal symbol relating earth and sky, material and spirit. Do you find yourself thinking of other, similar sacred forms, elsewhere? Editor: Oh, absolutely! Instantly, it reminds me of similar stupas in, say, Java, or even the ziggurats of ancient Mesopotamia, though they are different cultural expressions, I think we find something profound reflected here... it almost feels instinctive. What I am mostly curious about is that it feels so much like a snapshot but it's not a snapshot, right? I mean, the materials that Émile Gsell used... How much time would it take back then to do something like that? Curator: Creating albumen prints was indeed a labor-intensive process, demanding patience and mastery. We can be quite sure that he put considerable thought and care into composition and light—what strikes me most here is how Gsell creates a scene suffused with spirituality but the photo itself serves also as valuable documentary evidence about Cambodian funerary architecture. Editor: You’re right! Looking again I am thinking of time as both a destroyer and preserver. Here, you have the slow process of creation and this very quick moment when the image is frozen, both captured beautifully in a very long instant of time… There's such haunting beauty and vulnerability in the structures, which makes you feel so alive. Curator: Indeed, Gsell's photograph allows us to appreciate both the enduring spirit embodied in these tombs and the skill of an artist capturing a fleeting moment in time. Editor: Thanks! Now, looking at these structures makes me want to pack my bags and just be there. Thanks for your time.