Gezicht op Varenna aan het Comomeer vanuit de grot van Villa Serbelloni 1870 - 1880

Carlo Bosetti made this albumen print, showing a view from the grotto of Villa Serbelloni, of Varenna on Lake Como. This photograph, like others of its kind in 19th century Italy, uses the picturesque style that became popular in Europe at the time and became accessible to the wider public through the new medium of photography. The image, framed by the grotto, presents nature as a carefully curated vista. The fence, clearly installed, suggests human intervention in the landscape to create a carefully framed perspective. This aesthetic preference speaks to the values of the growing middle class, who had the means and leisure to appreciate and seek out such views, often packaged as part of a Grand Tour. Understanding this image fully requires an investigation into the social history of tourism, of Italian landscape photography, and the values of the burgeoning bourgeoisie, all of which can be accessed through archives and period publications.