Gezicht op de Arena van Verona c. 1860 - 1880

Giorgio Sommer created this stereograph of the Arena of Verona using the wet collodion process. The composition is structured around the symmetry and repetition of the Arena and formal gardens in the foreground. The circular form of the arena is echoed in the layout of the gardens, creating a visual harmony. The use of stereography adds a layer of complexity, and while the image is in monochrome, the tonal range captures texture of the stone and foliage, emphasizing the play of light and shadow. Through the visual language of photography, Sommer invites us to contemplate the Arena, a monumental structure and a site of public spectacle, transforming it into an object of aesthetic contemplation, detached from its original function. This photograph offers a lens through which we might consider the Arena not just as a historical artifact but as a constructed image, mediated by the photographer’s vision and the photographic process itself.