Exterieur van de kathedraal van Palermo, Sicilië 1857 - 1914

Curator: Let's talk about Giorgio Sommer's "Exterieur van de kathedraal van Palermo, Sicilië," a gelatin silver print created sometime between 1857 and 1914. Editor: Wow, just seeing it makes me feel small. It's got this towering, almost dreamlike quality, you know? All those arches and the dome…it feels like a stage set for something epic. Curator: Absolutely. This work is an interesting study in power, both architectural and social. Palermo's cathedral, over centuries, incorporated Norman, Islamic, and Gothic elements, reflecting the island's complex history of conquest and cultural exchange. Sommer's photo, in capturing that grandeur, inadvertently frames a loaded historical narrative. Editor: It’s incredible to see that complexity so clearly even in a still photograph. And the light! It almost softens the edges of something so massive. Like a beautiful watercolor sketch, even though it's not! Curator: Right. That soft focus, combined with the technical precision of the gelatin silver print, does something fascinating. On one hand, you get this very factual, documentary record, but on the other, that almost romantic glow you noticed pulls you into a timeless vision. Editor: Timeless, yes! It’s as if the building is constantly transforming. One thing that is striking, for a shot of such a big structure, there’s almost no human presence! Is there a statement to be made from that choice alone? Curator: Potentially a comment on how enduring these buildings are compared to the human form or an allusion to divine power. The absence certainly amplifies the structure's dominating presence in a socio-political world, highlighting a relationship of power, particularly within systems of religion, the aristocracy and state. Editor: I could stand and stare at it all day, and with those contexts it’s interesting how much more engaging one still moment becomes. Curator: Precisely. It invites so many avenues for questioning the roles buildings such as these play, culturally, socially and personally. Editor: So powerful! Makes me feel both grounded and weightless. Thanks for unlocking so much to it!