Unter den Linden met links de Neue Wache, Berlijn 1868 - 1870

This stereoscopic photograph, made by Johann Friedrich Stiehm, presents us with a duality that invites contemplation on the nature of representation itself. Two nearly identical images sit side-by-side, yet their slight variations hint at the nuances of perspective and the elusive nature of objectivity. The composition leads the eye towards the architectural forms atop the landscape, a castle and smaller building which punctuate the horizon line, asserting a human presence amidst the grandeur of nature. The monochromatic palette reduces the scene to its essential forms, emphasizing the textures of stone and foliage. The very act of viewing this stereograph engages us in a play of perception, as our eyes work to reconcile the two images into a single, three-dimensional vista. This interplay between the image and the viewer underscores a central tenet of structuralist thought; meaning is not inherent but is actively constructed through the relationships between signs and the frameworks we bring to them.