Gezicht op het Palazzo Rezzonico-Widmann te Venetië 1860 - 1870

Paolo Salviati's photograph captures the Palazzo Rezzonico-Widmann in Venice, using a subdued palette that enhances the city's tranquil ambiance. The composition is carefully structured, with the canal serving as a strong vertical axis, drawing the eye upwards towards the architectural details of the palazzo. The tonal gradations are subtle, creating a play of light and shadow that animates the surfaces of the buildings. The water's reflective quality blurs the distinction between the solid structures and their ethereal counterparts, complicating our perception of space. This formal arrangement evokes a sense of the uncanny, where familiar scenes are rendered alien through shifts in perspective. Salviati's photograph can be seen as a commentary on representation, questioning the stability of visual knowledge and inviting a deeper engagement with the formal qualities of the image. The use of tonality transforms a topographical view into a meditation on perception.