Interieur van de eetzaal van Hotel Pagano op Capri, Italië 1857 - 1914

This photograph by Giorgio Sommer shows the dining room of the Hotel Pagano on Capri. What jumps out is the tension between the real and the represented. The bottles and dinnerware are real enough, but the walls are covered with painted scenes. The question of labor is interesting here. Someone painted these murals, likely for relatively little compensation. The paintings are themselves images of leisure: musicians, well-dressed people on the stairs, and a cityscape. The combination presents a picture of the kind of experience the hotel hoped to offer its clientele. Consider the class distinctions inherent in the image. Those who could afford to visit Capri, and the staff who provided them with service. This photograph reminds us that even the most relaxed vacation is made possible by a lot of work, and a complex social hierarchy. It’s a document not just of a place, but of a whole world of production.