Grote vijver in de Tuilerieën, Parijs 1863 - 1875

This is a photograph of the Grote vijver in the Tuilerieën, Paris, made by Charles Dauvois. Note that it is a stereograph, meaning that it is a double image, meant to be viewed through a special device that creates an illusion of three-dimensionality. Dauvois was working at a pivotal moment for photographic technology. This image would have been created through a laborious chemical process, involving the careful manipulation of light-sensitive emulsions. But the final result was far from unique. This was a completely reproducible image, an artwork that was also a commodity. Photographs like this one democratized the experience of art, as the burgeoning middle class could now possess images of famous places. It also attests to the transformation of the Tuileries from a private garden, used exclusively by royalty, to a public space. It reminds us that the experience of art, like the making of it, is always socially determined.