Gezicht op de Vierstromenfontein op het Piazza Navona in Rome c. 1860 - 1880

Giorgio Sommer created this stereocard of the Fountain of Four Rivers in Rome sometime in the late 19th century. Stereocards like this one were a popular form of entertainment in Europe and North America. The fountain itself was designed by Bernini in the 17th century, during a period when the Catholic Church was eager to project its power and influence through extravagant displays of art and architecture. Fountains, in particular, served a crucial public function in Rome, providing fresh water to the city's inhabitants. Piazza Navona was not only a source of water but a social and economic hub where Romans from all walks of life gathered to buy and sell goods. Sommer's photograph flattens that complex social reality, presenting a depopulated tourist scene. As historians, we might look at city records, newspaper articles, and personal diaries to get a richer sense of the relationship between the fountain, the city, and its people. The meaning of art is contingent on social and institutional context.