Gezicht op de Sint-Pietersbasiliek, ruïnes en het Pantheon te Rome 1936 - 1939

Curator: Immediately, I'm struck by a sense of stillness and solemnity. The stark monochrome palette emphasizes the geometric forms, giving the whole thing a classical yet almost abstract feel. Editor: This piece by Berti Hoppe, entitled "Gezicht op de Sint-Pietersbasiliek, ruïnes en het Pantheon te Rome", was created sometime between 1936 and 1939, and it’s a gelatin silver print featuring architectural elements in Rome. Curator: The way the light catches on those ancient stones, though, it's incredible. The use of silver gelatin really does give the structures a timeless and historical character. Editor: Absolutely, the image really plays into this ongoing obsession with ruins and history during that period. It’s difficult to say what was exactly going through Berti's mind, but there was some heavy socio-political forces being felt across Europe at this time, in a run up to World War II. Curator: You can definitely feel the weight of history here, it almost makes it more ominous considering when these images were taken. Even those seemingly solid geometric forms are rendered quite vulnerable by this printing technique. Editor: The composition is clever; it feels so carefully assembled to portray specific meanings in a visual landscape. You've got the ruins, the Pantheon…each carrying significant cultural and religious importance, brought together. Curator: Almost a reflection of how all of it intersects to build this complicated picture that makes up Italian and Western history. But you know, I'm wondering how Berti, in his capacity as an artist, engages with that kind of history in a personal capacity? Editor: Maybe, that's the beauty of viewing the works outside of all this institutional analysis: allowing for the images to reflect parts of ourselves. The way the light hits the architecture in these shots almost gives these historical symbols new context with new individual lives viewing it over the course of history. Curator: True, after seeing all this together, I think I need to travel, or dig deeper into my past too, or simply find some peace and reflect more. Editor: Yes! Berti provides such a profound perspective and emotion, one that causes internal questioning; powerful.