Monument voor Cristoforo Tomati op de begraafplaats van Staglieno in Genua c. 1870 - 1890

Alfredo Noack captured this photograph of the monument to Cristoforo Tomati, located in the Staglieno Cemetery in Genoa, Italy, in the late 19th century. It is a remarkable document of memorial culture in that time and place. The image presents a sculpture in the Neoclassical style, featuring Christ with open arms above the figure of a grieving woman, presumably the daughter of the deceased, Cristoforo Tomati. This sculpture, situated within a public cemetery, reflects the 19th-century Italian society's relationship with death, mourning, and public commemoration. The elaborate detail and emotional expression of the sculpture embody the values of bourgeois culture, where displays of sentimentality and religious piety were considered virtuous. Noack's photograph, then, not only preserves the memory of a specific monument, but also serves as a commentary on the broader social practices surrounding death and remembrance. In considering this artwork, historians can draw upon sources such as period literature, funeral records, and architectural studies of cemeteries to enrich our understanding.