Restanten van de Tempel van Fortuna Augusta te Pompeï 1857 - 1914

Giorgio Sommer created this photograph of the Restanten van de Tempel van Fortuna Augusta te Pompeï, using a monochrome palette to capture the stark grandeur of the ruins. The composition is dominated by the temple's skeletal remains, which rise in tiered, geometric forms against a pale sky. The varying textures of stone and earth are rendered with striking clarity. The photograph invites us to consider the interplay between absence and presence. What is absent—the original temple—is as crucial as what remains. Sommer employs a structuralist approach, emphasizing the underlying framework of civilization itself and invites reflection on the cyclical nature of existence, the rise and fall. Consider the deliberate arrangement of elements within the frame, the careful balance between light and shadow. These are not merely aesthetic choices, but profound statements about history, memory, and the enduring power of form.