Preekgestoelte in het Baptisterium van Pisa, Italië 1864 - 1900

This photograph shows the pulpit in the Baptistery of Pisa, and was taken by Giacomo Brogi sometime in the 19th Century. The image documents an elaborate marble structure, heavily ornamented with relief carvings. The stone’s inherent qualities – its weight and density – speak to the immense labor involved in its creation. We can see the many steps involved in quarrying, transporting, carving, and assembling the marble. Each element contributes to the overall visual and tactile experience. The pillars, the intricate tracery, the figurative scenes – all required skillful hands and specialized knowledge. The photograph itself is also a material object. Brogi would have understood that in capturing the three-dimensional pulpit in a two-dimensional print, his own skill was also on display. Ultimately, both the pulpit and the photograph invite us to consider the relationship between artistry, labor, and the cultural value we assign to objects. By understanding how things are made, we can move beyond conventional distinctions between craft and fine art.