Gezicht op ministerie van oorlog in het Palacio de Buenavista in Madrid c. 1880 - 1890

Juan Laurent created this photograph of the Ministry of War in Madrid, using the album print method. The image presents a specific view of power and authority in 19th-century Spain. Consider the Palacio de Buenavista, a grand building whose architecture embodies state power. Laurent's choice to photograph it, framed by lush gardens, suggests a cultivated image of governance. In its time, photography was still a relatively new medium, often commissioned to document public works, architecture and infrastructure. We can see the convergence of art, technology, and statecraft here, and this tells us something about the values of the period. To deepen our understanding, we could explore the archives of the Ministry of War itself, studying architectural plans, official records, and other photographs. This kind of interdisciplinary research reveals the complex relationship between art, institutions, and society.