Untitled (1) c. 1890

Editor: So, here we have *Untitled (1)*, a photograph attributed to Ferdinando Ongania from around 1890, currently residing here at the Art Institute of Chicago. What immediately strikes me is how still and almost melancholy the scene feels – like a memory fading at the edges. What do you make of it? Curator: Fading edges, you say? That’s interesting, because I see the soft focus, that platinum print quality, as lending a certain... dreaminess. Venice, even in the late 19th century, was already steeped in its own mythology, wouldn't you say? I always imagine these photographers trying to capture that essence, not just the buildings, but the feeling. Does that resonate? Editor: Absolutely! That “dreaminess” also feels a little… staged? Like, is that figure posed specifically for the camera? Curator: Precisely! These images were often carefully constructed, weren’t they? Notice how the figure gives scale and life to the buildings, but also adds this lovely pensive touch? I feel as though Ongania here really understood the Venetian theatricality. He’s composing an image rather than merely documenting a scene. I find it captivating that someone captured this historical scenery so vividly. What’s your biggest take away when viewing it? Editor: I’d agree! It seems as though the staging is so effective and poignant. Thinking about the photographer acting like a theater director shifts my perspective! The city almost is the main actor with all these interesting elements as the supporting cast. Curator: Indeed! A play within a photograph – layers of illusion and reality, each informing the other.