Restanten van de Isistempel in Pompeï c. 1860 - 1900

Giorgio Sommer made this albumen print of the Temple of Isis in Pompeii sometime between 1860 and 1890. It captures the ruins of a temple dedicated to an Egyptian goddess, within a Roman city frozen in time by volcanic ash. Sommer, a German photographer working in Italy, catered to the burgeoning tourist trade that had developed around archeological sites like Pompeii. His photographs weren't merely documents; they were carefully composed narratives that tapped into a Western fascination with antiquity and the exotic. The temple itself speaks volumes about cultural exchange and religious syncretism in the Roman Empire, while also referencing a longer history of the subjugation of Egypt. Consider, too, the gaze of the 19th-century European tourist. What did they seek in these ruins? Was it a connection to the past, or a confirmation of their own cultural dominance? Sommer’s photograph invites us to reflect on the complex layers of history, power, and representation embedded within this seemingly simple image of ruins.