Gezicht op de haven van Bari met geplaveide kade 1778

Louis Ducros captured this view of the port of Bari with pen and watercolor, a bustling scene amidst the backdrop of 18th-century maritime activity. The port, more than just a place of transit, was a crucible of human interaction, a site where identities met and mingled. Ducros's work invites us to consider the lives of those who animated this space. We see figures who seem to represent the working class, deeply entrenched in the labor and the movement of goods. Their presence quietly challenges the more conventional narratives of the time, often dominated by the elite. The scene quietly celebrates the ordinary: the routines, the labor, and the lives of those who make the port a vibrant nexus of activity. The aesthetic choices highlight the convergence of cultures and the relentless churn of global exchange.