Hotel Royal Danieli in het Palazzo Dandolo en boten aan de Riva degli Schiavoni in Venetië c. 1870 - 1890

Curator: This gelatin silver print, taken by Carlo Naya, captures the Hotel Royal Danieli in the Palazzo Dandolo along with boats on the Riva degli Schiavoni, in Venice, circa 1870-1890. What strikes you initially? Editor: A dreamlike atmosphere. The monochromatic tones create an ethereal, almost melancholic mood. Venice always had that sort of emotional intensity of past grandeur. Curator: Naya's photography certainly partakes in a Romantic vision of Venice. Note how the Palazzo, now the Hotel Danieli, dominates the frame. It projects power but is softened by the water. The choice of capturing this hotel could have a significant role in the representation of the power of Venice. Editor: Exactly, the hotel itself, repurposed from a palazzo, speaks to the layered history, both the grandeur and decay that are at the heart of Venice’s visual appeal. The boats also crowd around its base and this relates to Venice's strong maritime power that it used to have. Look closely, the way he has captured this it truly is almost timeless! Curator: This era saw Venice transform into a key destination for aristocratic tourists, and this photograph served the demand for picturesque mementos. We observe the merging of Venice’s identity as an ancient Republic with its modern function within an Italian nation-state. Editor: The boats, I think, become a symbol of the continuity amidst change. Even if the city reinvents its roles in new political and cultural realities, certain aspects of it maintain a deeper sense of self. They represent a tangible connection to that powerful past. Curator: A poignant reflection on how art interprets the narrative and symbolism woven within the visual and political history of Venice. Editor: Indeed. Carlo Naya really manages to make this historic symbol, communicate through something as simple as a tourist picture.