Assouan (Syène), Carrières de Granit - Ancien Système d'Extraction 1851 - 1852

Editor: So this photograph by Félix Teynard, taken between 1851 and 1852, captures the granite quarries in Aswan. Looking at the abandoned obelisk still embedded in the earth, I’m struck by a feeling of…stasis? Like time itself is paused, waiting for something to happen. What stands out to you? Curator: Stasis is a wonderful word for it, truly. The weight of untold time hangs in the air, doesn’t it? What strikes me is how Teynard manages to capture not just the landscape but the *potential* held within it. Those unfinished monoliths – they represent dreams unrealized, ambitions suspended. I can almost feel the echoes of the artisans’ hands that once toiled there. What do you think this photograph whispers about the relationship between human endeavor and the vastness of time? Editor: It's as if nature is slowly reclaiming what was once intended for grand human projects. The scale is immense, which diminishes the intended importance. It feels almost like a commentary on hubris. Curator: Precisely. And doesn't the stark light and shadow amplify that feeling? The lack of human presence, save for the distant structure on the horizon, reinforces the solitude and abandonment. I almost wonder if Teynard wasn’t deliberately highlighting the ephemeral nature of human ambition against the enduring power of the earth. Does that resonate with your initial impression? Editor: It does. I hadn’t considered the distant building – now it emphasizes this contrast you mention, it brings perspective to the image. It also humanizes it, somehow. Curator: And that little detail becomes so pivotal, doesn't it? It makes the photograph, for me, much more potent - reminding us of a different relationship of humans and land, where things and visions come to fruition. Thanks for pointing it out!