Mädchen mit Stereoskop 1871

This is Hans Canon's "Girl with Stereoscope," created using oil on canvas. The loose brushwork and limited palette give it a direct, intimate feeling. But look closely at what the girl is holding. The stereoscope was a popular device for viewing photographs in three dimensions. It reflects the rise of image culture in the 19th century. Consider the labor involved: the photographers, the printers, the manufacturers of the stereoscopes themselves. All of this activity swirling just below the surface of this quiet portrait. What’s remarkable is Canon’s inclusion of this fairly new technology into painting. The artist is acknowledging, even celebrating, the stereoscope's integration into everyday life. So, this isn't just a painting, it's a document of a rapidly changing world, a world in which new technologies and modes of production were transforming society. Seeing the painting this way gives us so much more than just a pretty picture.