Gezicht op een theehuis in de tuinen van Château de Marlagne before 1867

The Ghémar Frères studio created this albumen print, titled "View of a Tea House in the Gardens of Château de Marlagne," mounted in an album at the Rijksmuseum. Here, the dominant sepia tones evoke a sense of nostalgia, with the tea house depicted through a screen of foliage, emphasizing a structured yet obscured view. The composition is built around layers; the framing trees create a natural vignette, drawing the eye towards the architectural form at the center. The photographic medium captures the texture of leaves and stone, contrasting the organic with the geometric. This interplay invites a semiotic reading, where nature is both a veil and a frame, questioning our perception of what is concealed versus what is revealed. Consider how the Ghémar Frères use perspective to engage with ideas of space and observation. This photo captures a moment in time and also prompts reflection on how we frame our experiences and construct meaning through selective viewing.