Gezicht op Silla del Moro en Generalife te Granada before 1893

Señan y Gonzalez created this photograph of the Generalife and Silla del Moro in Granada. The image presents a view of the Generalife, a palace and gardens, along with the Silla del Moro, a castle overlooking the Alhambra, set amid a landscape of lush vegetation and rolling hills. It’s highly likely this photograph was produced for commercial purposes, to be sold to tourists as a memento of their visit. Granada, with its rich Moorish history and stunning architecture, became a popular destination for European travelers in the 19th century. The rise of tourism created a demand for images that captured the city’s unique character. Photographers like Señan y Gonzalez responded by producing photographs of the Alhambra and other landmarks, catering to the desire for picturesque views and exotic scenery. Images like this contributed to the construction of a romanticized vision of Spain, one that emphasized its Moorish past and catered to European notions of the Orient. Historical archives, travel literature, and studies of tourism provide further insight into the cultural and economic contexts surrounding the creation and consumption of images like this one.