Gezicht op de Seine, met de nieuwe Pont d'Arcole in aanbouw, Parijs 1855

Charles Nègre captured this view of the Seine with the new Pont d'Arcole under construction, using a photographic process that renders the scene in stark contrasts of light and shadow. The inverted tones create an almost dreamlike quality, as if we're seeing Paris through a looking glass. Nègre's composition emphasizes the structural elements of the city, particularly the bridges that span the river. The Pont d'Arcole, still in its skeletal phase, becomes a focal point, its unfinished form highlighting the dynamic nature of urban development. The photograph plays with the semiotics of progress and modernity, contrasting the solidity of the older buildings with the ephemeral quality of the construction site. Consider the inverted tonal range and how it destabilizes our perception. Nègre challenges our understanding of light and space, prompting us to reconsider the symbolic meaning that photography can convey.