The Mosque-Cathedral of Córdoba: Three Interior Perspectives by Laborde (1812)

Abstract

Alexandre Laborde, at the beginning of the 19th century, after visiting the Mosque-Cathedral of Córdoba, published an important collection of views of this monument in the work entitled Voyage pittoresque et historique de l’Espagne (volume II, 1812). Three of its interior perspectives, drawn by Jean Lubin Vauzelle, have been selected in order to assess its documentary accuracy: a front view from the Mihrab, one from the forest of columns and another from the Royal Chapel. A digital geometric model from the area expanded by Al-Hakem II - where the three perspectives are located - has been generated from the point cloud obtained by means of a 3D laser scanner. Some formal and spatial aspects from the perceived architecture have been analysed, taking as a reference several images by 19th century draftsmen. After identifying each viewpoint and its horizon line, the digital model has been superimposed on the views by Laborde after identifying each viewpoint and its horizon line. The agreement between the views and the current reality has been verified considering that a camera obscura could have been used, and also taking into account the different architectural transformations undergone by this monument part of the Unesco World Heritage list.