Interieur van de techniek afdeling in het Duitse paviljoen tijdens de Wereldtentoonstelling te Parijs in 1900 before 1901

This image by Goupil captures the interior of the technology section in the German pavilion at the Paris World Exhibition in 1900. Just think of the architecture, those high ceilings—it’s almost gothic, cathedral-like, yet also functional and modern. What would it have been like to be there? I can imagine Goupil wrestling with the problem of perspective, trying to flatten out the depth while still conveying the scale. You get the sense that they were thinking hard about how to communicate space and depth on a flat surface. It’s a completely artificial space, designed to impress, to communicate the power and progress of Germany. The artist has created a conversation between representation and something almost abstract, like a diagram. I think it's this exchange of ideas, across time, that inspires creativity. It reminds me that when we look at art, we're not just seeing what's there but engaging with a whole history of seeing and thinking.