Fotografische reproductie van decoratie aan plafond, Hotel de Ville, Parijs 1852 - 1853

This photograph by Gustave Le Gray captures a ceiling decoration in the Hotel de Ville, Paris. Though we can’t be sure of the exact date, it was likely made in the mid-19th century. Le Gray’s photograph reproduces a painted allegory. The figures represent the harvest, a common subject for public buildings in France at the time. It was made for the town hall in Paris, and this imagery would have resonated with the rural population that was then migrating to the city. It’s hard to ignore the gender politics at play here, the semi-nude central figure is sexualized, but also strong as she carries the weight of the harvest. To understand the relationship between art and civic identity, scholars would study the history of French political institutions. Also the art criticism of the time and consider how these works legitimized the authority of the state through symbolism and idealized representations of labor.