Restanten van het huis van Cornelio Rufo te Pompeï 1857 - 1875

Giorgio Sommer created this albumen print, "Restanten van het huis van Cornelio Rufo te Pompeï," during the 19th century. This photograph encapsulates the 19th-century fascination with antiquity, fuelled by archaeological discoveries like Pompeii. The image's composition draws our eye through the skeletal remains of a once-lavish Roman home, complete with columns, statuary, and remnants of painted walls. The photograph presents a selective view of the past. Sommer made his living selling images of Italy to tourists. It's a social document of the era's cultural and economic structures. Photography, then a relatively new medium, played a crucial role in shaping public perceptions of history and culture. To further understand such work, we need to consider the institutional framework of archaeology, photography, and tourism, and how they shaped our understanding of the past.