Binnenplaats van het Palazzo del Podestà te Florence before 1888

Editor: This is a photograph of the courtyard of the Palazzo del Podestà in Florence, taken before 1888 by Edizione Brogi. It's printed using the gelatin silver process. The stark staircase leading up into the shadowed arches has such a melancholic feel to it, almost like a Piranesi etching come to life. What feelings does this photograph evoke for you? Curator: It strikes me as a carefully staged moment frozen in time. The photo presents a silent grandeur, yet there’s an unmistakable stillness— a waiting. I find myself wondering, what stories do those stones whisper, especially given Florence's turbulent history? There's also this strong sense of depth—you can almost feel yourself stepping into that shadowed arcade. I imagine this shot required careful orchestration and patience. What I find particularly intriguing is how Brogi balances light and shadow, creating a composition that is at once inviting and imposing. What do you make of the lack of figures, for example? Editor: I hadn't considered that aspect— the absence of people intensifies that feeling of being lost in time. The photo could be about history, but is also about time stopping and inviting one to walk those stairs, to wonder about where they will lead… It is interesting, this lack of figures becomes central. It changes how the image functions as architecture becomes psychological, am I making sense? Curator: Perfectly. I wonder if Brogi was deliberately aiming for that timelessness or capturing something else entirely. Ultimately it speaks to the photograph's enduring power, doesn't it? Editor: Yes, the absence really lets you fill in the story yourself, and make it new again and again. Thanks!