Grande Pagode - Tour Nord du 2e Etage

Art Historical Context

Captured in 1866 by French photographer Emile Gsell, *Grande Pagode - Tour Nord du 2e Etage* offers a striking view of the northern tower on the second level of Angkor Wat in Cambodia. Gsell, one of the earliest European photographers to document the ancient Khmer monuments, traveled through Southeast Asia during a period of growing French interest in the region. His image highlights the temple’s intricate stone carvings and towering architecture, preserving a moment when these ruins were still being rediscovered by the outside world. The work is an albumen silver print made from a glass negative, a technique prized in the mid-nineteenth century for its sharp detail and rich tonal range. This medium allowed Gsell to convey the texture of weathered sandstone and the play of light across the structure with remarkable clarity. Such photographs were not only artistic achievements but also valuable records that introduced Western audiences to Cambodia’s cultural heritage. Today, the print serves as both an architectural study and a historical document, reflecting the intersection of photography, exploration, and colonial-era curiosity. Its presence in the Metropolitan Museum’s collection underscores the enduring power of early photographs to connect viewers with distant places and vanished eras.

About the Artist

Emile Gsell · 1838–1879

Emile Gsell (1838–1879) was a French photographer who became one of the earliest Western photographers to document Southeast Asia, particularly the ancient temples of Angkor in Cambodia. Born in Sainte-Marie-aux-Mines in Alsace, France, Gsell traveled to Indochina in the 1860s, establishing a photographic studio in Saigon (present-day Ho Chi Minh City) that became a base for his documentary expedi...