In Teatro Degollado Guadalajara III (2015), Candida Höfer masterfully captures the splendour and rich history of one of Mexico’s most iconic cultural landmarks. Teatro Degollado Guadalajara III is one of five photographs she took of the neoclassical Teatro Degollado, Guadalajara, with the present work being the only one to capture its opulent interior head-on, featuring a strong sense of symmetry. This photograph is part of Höfer’s celebrated Mexico series, which emerged from a visit in 2015, during which she explored various architectural spaces, from the Viceroyalty era to the contemporary period. During her visit, she travelled to several cities, including Mexico City, Guadalajara, Guanajuato, Oaxaca, Puebla, Tepotzotlán, Tlacochahuaya, and Tonantzintla. Her lens translates the intricate beauty of Mexican architecture into her signature visual language—one that prioritises light and evokes a profound sense of stillness.

The Teatro Degollado was commissioned by Governor Santos Degollado after Antonio Pérez Verdía proposed constructing the Alarcón Theatre, named after the classic dramatist Juan Ruiz de Alarcón, as part of Mexico’s 19th-century theatrical movement. The theatre opened its doors in 1866. However, the project faced delays due to the conflict between Mexican liberals and conservatives, as well as changes in government during the Second Mexican Empire. In 1861, Governor Pedro Ogazón renamed the theatre to Degollado Theatre after Santos Degollado was killed in battle.

Höfer’s Teatro Degollado Guadalajara III presents the theatre’s interior with meticulous attention to detail, capturing the sumptuous ornamentation of the balconies, the rich textures of the seating, and the grandeur of the stage. The theatre’s architecture, characterised by its Baroque influences, is depicted with a powerful sense of symmetry, as if Höfer’s lens is engaged in an architectural dialogue with the building itself. This formal precision not only celebrates the structure's aesthetic beauty but also evokes the social and cultural significance of the space, offering what could be described as a “formal portrait of the society itself.”

Höfer’s compositional choices enhance the theatricality and majesty of the scene, using the natural spotlights of the theatre to accentuate the gilded details and plush fabrics while casting gentle shadows that add depth and dimensionality. The photograph's centralised viewpoint emphasises the theatre's grand scale, with each element—from the ornate balconies to the rhythmic repetition of seats—serving to draw the eye inward towards the focal point of the stage. The stillness and absence of an audience imbue the work with a contemplative atmosphere, inviting viewers to reflect on the history and beauty of cultural spaces. It is this quiet grandeur that sets Höfer’s work apart, as she transforms architectural documentation into an intimate and meditative experience.

Ultimately, Teatro Degollado Guadalajara III serves as a testament to Candida Höfer’s enduring fascination with the dialogue between space and society. Her photograph invites viewers to consider the theatre not only as an architectural marvel but as a repository of collective memory and cultural identity. In this work, as in much of her oeuvre, Höfer elevates architectural photography to a form of portraiture—capturing the spirit of place with the same care and depth as a portraitist would capture the human form. In doing so, she underscores the significance of cultural spaces as sites of beauty, history, and quiet contemplation.