Arch of the Silversmiths c. 1857

Robert MacPherson made this photograph, Arch of the Silversmiths, using albumen silver print. MacPherson was an important figure, among a community of British photographers, who set up studios in Rome, benefiting from the burgeoning market of art tourism. This image demonstrates the fascination with classical antiquity that shaped the aesthetic sensibilities of the time. The image makes meaning through a visual code that links photography with the tradition of landscape painting. The Arch of the Silversmiths, or Arco degli Argentari, was erected by the silversmiths and merchants of Rome in 204 A.D, to honor the emperor Septimius Severus and his family. MacPherson chooses a viewpoint that emphasizes the arch’s weathered and aged condition. The silversmiths guild was a powerful institution. By examining the economic and political conditions of the time, we can understand the arch as a symbol of wealth and power. Analyzing the history of photography as a medium and art tourism as a social practice will help you understand the image further.