Gezicht op de Dom in Milaan c. 1860 - 1880

Curator: It’s such a striking image, almost like a postcard from another century. What do you make of this early photograph of the Duomo in Milan? The image is attributed to Giorgio Sommer and thought to date from between 1860 and 1880. Editor: I feel this photograph makes me want to touch everything it represents, but delicately, like ancient lace. I want to trace every spire with my finger. Curator: Yes, there is that intricate detail—Gothic architecture aspiring to something almost unearthly. Look at how Sommer has captured it; the light seems to define every edge and angle of the facade. Think of what this cathedral must have represented to 19th-century viewers: the cultural memory encoded in stone, the very visible weight of history and faith. Editor: I find myself musing on that "cultural memory". To the nineteenth-century eye, it probably looked impossibly eternal. Whereas, to me, viewing it today it seems a very melancholic depiction of something beautiful that may or may not outlast us. There’s a deep, unsettling contrast between aspiration and ephemerality, all rendered in sepia. Curator: Sommer also uses the developing technology of photography as a medium to communicate the Duomo as an established, grand subject—reinforcing its already-iconic status within Europe's architectural landscape. This image served to perpetuate Milan’s importance through this awe-inspiring structure, imprinting a particular narrative about progress and civilization onto the minds of the burgeoning middle class. Editor: It is curious how technical advancements tend to make cultural artifacts more alluring as time passes. These antiquated technologies are vessels of emotion. You can practically inhale the atmosphere of a time now forever gone! But it all seems so tangible and palpable! That dusty plaza almost begs for a wistful reenactment, or a sentimental sequel to this historical image. Curator: In many ways, these images, particularly of landmarks, do more than show; they actively construct ideas of what is beautiful and important. Perhaps it would do us good to imagine those horse-drawn carriages moving past the piazza once again to truly envision this "sentimentality." Editor: The best kind of artifact is both gorgeous and thought-provoking. I find it interesting how viewing "Gezicht op de Dom in Milaan" has altered my state of mind this afternoon. What a treasure.