Gezicht op Dinan 1870 - 1900

This photograph of Dinan was created by Étienne Neurdein, though we don’t know exactly when. It speaks to the changes France was undergoing at the time. The high-angle perspective, combined with the newly constructed railway bridge, shows us the modernization of France. The industrial revolution was in full swing, and with it came investment in new transport infrastructure. The railways connected people like never before, while also opening new markets for trade. This image can be interpreted as an institutional project. Neurdein operated a commercial photographic studio, and images like this met a rising demand for landscape views, and for images celebrating modernization. Looking at photographs like this helps us to think about the politics of imagery, and the social conditions that shape artistic production. By researching archives and other historical sources, we can understand this artwork, and France itself, in much greater depth.