Fontein op het Place du Théâtre te Bordeaux 1862 - 1876

Curator: This photograph, "Fontein op het Place du Théâtre te Bordeaux," was captured by Jean Andrieu sometime between 1862 and 1876. Editor: Ah, yes. Looking at it now, it gives me such a lovely sense of calm and gentle flow, like music visualized. All those horizontal lines in the architecture…and then, boom, the fountain's energy bursting upward. Curator: And consider what Bordeaux, as a port city, represented in that period – a key nexus for trade and transatlantic exchange. The Théâtre and its square acted as both a monument to this wealth, but also a social space that played host to intersectional currents. Editor: Intersectional in what way, precisely? I get the sense of prosperity and flow but intersectional seems a tad much from first impressions... Curator: Think about how port cities became flashpoints for exchange, migration, and of course, colonialism. Art in public squares – specifically statues, and in this case a very ornate fountain, acted as material manifestations of dominant ideologies, specifically the narratives of power and social order in which race, class, and gender became intricately woven into a seemingly benign cityscape. Editor: I see your point…it’s easy to romanticize the image, especially the way the photographer composed the shot, almost serenely. The architecture suggests grandeur and classical ideals but beneath the surface it represents this complex weave. It definitely pulls at my need to complicate what is seemingly serene. Curator: Right. That complexity should not be overlooked. And the very fact that it’s a stereographic print, meant for individual consumption in a bourgeois parlor… Editor: ...really emphasizes the disconnect, doesn’t it? A perfect image of civic pride filtered and consumed, divorced from the grit and the problematic origins that actually sustained it. Curator: Indeed. Considering Andrieu’s photograph through this lens unveils the crucial dialogues between representation, power, and historical context. Editor: Makes one consider just how much stories are told and untold. This visit took me on an unexpected detour!