Gezicht op de Strada della Abbondanza te Pompeï, Italië 1857 - 1875

Giorgio Sommer captured this view of the Strada della Abbondanza in Pompeii with photography, a new medium in his time, giving us a direct view of the ancient world. The road, once bustling with life, is now eerily silent, bordered by the skeletal remains of buildings. The linear perspective draws our eyes to the distance, yet we are met with ruins, a stark reminder of time's relentless march and nature's destructive force. It echoes the ancient Roman concept of "memento mori", a reminder of mortality. We see this in funerary art across cultures, from the Egyptian pyramids to medieval skull motifs. These visual reminders serve as potent symbols, triggering deep-seated anxieties about human fragility and the transience of existence. The photograph invites a meditation on the cyclical nature of civilization—rise, fall, ruin—a cycle endlessly repeating across history.