The Lanterna, Genoa 1912

Muirhead Bone made this print of The Lanterna in Genoa at an unknown date. The Lanterna, the city's lighthouse, stands as a symbol of Genoa's rich maritime history and its strategic importance as a port city. Bone's choice to depict the Lanterna alongside scenes of shipbuilding and the daily lives of dockworkers speaks to the intersection of labor, industry, and civic identity in early 20th-century Genoa. What's especially interesting here is how the image creates meaning through its visual codes, offering a glimpse into the socio-economic dynamics of the time. We can reflect on questions of progress and modernity, the role of labor in shaping urban landscapes, and the ways in which artists like Bone engaged with these themes in their work. To better understand this image, we can examine historical records, city archives, and sociological studies of port cities in the early 20th century. By looking at how art is contingent on social and institutional context we can shed light on the complex forces that shape artistic production.