Gezicht op Córdoba 1868 - 1883

This albumen print of Córdoba was taken by Juan Laurent. It presents a landscape dominated by horizontal bands. The composition's formal structure directs our gaze from the river in the foreground towards the city buildings in the background. Laurent uses the geometry of architecture to organize the composition. The linear progression of the bridge, coupled with the rhythmic repetition of the arches, leads the eye to the prominent Mezquita-Cathedral, integrating structural and aesthetic elements. The tonal range and value is restricted, but the image has some depth, drawing us into the vista. The photograph serves as both a mode of documentation and a constructed representation of space. The photograph challenges our notions of fixed perspectives, inviting a rethinking of how we perceive and represent urban landscapes.