Fotoreproductie van de Aanbidding van het Sacrament before 1861

Curator: Let's consider this albumen print by Edmond Fierlants, “Fotoreproductie van de Aanbidding van het Sacrament,” made before 1861. What strikes you most about it? Editor: I’m drawn to the formality of the composition. It feels very staged, and the sepia tones add to this sense of looking into the past. What do you see in this piece? Curator: It’s tempting to see this photograph solely as a neutral record. But Fierlants, in choosing to document this adoration scene, actively participates in the religious and, therefore, socio-political discourses of his time. How do we read this through a lens of power and representation? Editor: That's interesting! I hadn’t considered the artist’s agency in choosing the subject matter. I suppose I assumed photography was objective back then, even if posed. Are you saying this image reflects or reinforces a particular power structure? Curator: Precisely. This image might bolster traditional Catholic beliefs and hierarchies during a period of secularization. It asks us to reflect: who gets to define and document these spiritual narratives? Does the photograph serve as a tool for preservation, or perhaps, even propaganda? And what about the role of gender in this composition? Editor: Ah, I see. It does seem to center a specific interpretation, and the absence of women beyond angelic figures is telling. It makes you think about whose stories are being told, and whose aren’t. Curator: Exactly! Considering it as more than just a “reproduction” opens it up to crucial conversations about religion, power, and representation in 19th-century society. We must continuously consider who benefits from the stories we tell, even through art. Editor: Thank you, this helps me understand the work's depth. It’s more complex than just an old photograph!