Kloostergang van de Sint-Jan de kluizenaar te Palermo 1857 - 1914

Giorgio Sommer captured this image of the cloister of Saint John of the Hermits in Palermo at an unknown date. Sommer, a German photographer based in Italy, catered to European travelers eager to consume romantic visions of the Italian landscape and its architecture. This image, like many of Sommer's works, invites us to consider the complex relationship between the photographer, his subject, and the tourist gaze. The architecture signifies a layered history of cultural exchange, once a mosque, then transformed into a Christian place of worship. Sommer’s photograph flattens this rich history into a picturesque scene, devoid of social context. Consider how the absence of people amplifies a sense of timelessness, turning a blind eye to contemporary realities in favor of an idealized past. The decaying structure and the remnants of classical forms evoke a sense of melancholic beauty, but at what cost? The commodification of culture for tourism often overlooks the lived experiences of the local population.