Gezicht op het forum te Pompeï c. 1870 - 1900

This is a photograph of the forum in Pompeii, captured by Edizione Brogi. While the exact date remains unknown, the image speaks volumes about the 19th-century fascination with antiquity. The ruins of Pompeii, frozen in time by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD, became a site of intense archaeological exploration, mirroring Europe’s colonial pursuits. The image presents a stark view of a city interrupted, where daily life was abruptly halted. Consider the layers of history—from the Roman citizens who walked these stones to the archaeologists who unearthed them, and now, the tourists who come to gaze upon them. The photo invites us to reflect on time, loss, and the enduring human quest to understand our past. How do we reconcile our fascination with civilizations built on the backs of enslaved peoples? Does this image perpetuate or challenge traditional narratives about history?