Gezicht op de Via Roma in Napels met een standbeeld, winkels, paardenkoetsen en voorbijgangers c. 1860 - 1890

Giorgio Sommer captured this view of the Via Roma in Naples with a camera, sometime in the late 19th century. The photograph is a study in contrasts—the rigid geometry of the buildings versus the organic arrangement of figures and carriages, the permanence of stone against the fleeting moment captured. Notice how Sommer uses the classical perspective of a wide-angle view to draw the eye down the long avenue, creating a sense of depth. The foreground is anchored by a circular plaza with a statue, which serves as a structural base for the composition. The photograph is divided into distinct horizontal layers: the bustling street, the awnings of shops, and the repetitive pattern of windows, each layer adding to the complex texture of urban life. Sommer challenges traditional notions of space and time by layering these elements into a single frame. The act of capturing it disrupts the fixity of vision. The image serves not just as a record but as a commentary on the interplay between order and chaos, stillness and movement.