Lantaarn op de hoek van het Palazzo Strozzi te Florence c. 1880 - 1900

This photograph, titled 'Lantaarn op de hoek van het Palazzo Strozzi te Florence,' was captured by the Fratelli Alinari. During its time, photography played a crucial role in shaping perceptions of identity and place, particularly within the context of 19th-century European society. As we observe the stark, detailed image of the Palazzo Strozzi's corner lantern, consider the cultural weight carried by such architectural symbols. Palazzos represented not just wealth, but also the consolidation of power within elite, often patriarchal, family structures. The lantern, perched on the corner, speaks to the performance of visibility and control. The Alinari brothers, as photographers, were complicit in constructing a certain narrative of Italian grandeur, one that often overshadowed the experiences of marginalized communities. This image, with its sharp focus on the opulence of Florentine architecture, prompts us to consider whose stories were deemed worthy of documentation and preservation, and whose were left in the shadows.