Gezicht op de ruïne van Castello Barbarossa op Capri met bovenop een man en een vrouw (mogelijk kunstenaar en model) c. 1860 - 1890

Giorgio Sommer captured this view of the Castello Barbarossa ruin on Capri with a photograph, likely sometime in the late 19th century. Here, Sommer invites us to consider the romantic allure of ruins, a popular theme during this period when the wealthy traveled to the Mediterranean for cultural enrichment. Note the man and woman perched atop the crumbling castle, they serve as a symbol of the sublime. But I wonder, who were these people? Were they tourists, locals, or perhaps Sommer himself with his muse? Sommer, a German photographer working in Italy, navigated the complexities of identity and representation in a colonial context. He catered to European tastes, producing images that reinforced existing power dynamics, while also offering glimpses into the lives of the local population. Consider how this image reflects the longing for a distant, idealized past, even as it obscures the present realities of those living in its shadow. Perhaps it speaks to our own desires for escape and the way we project our fantasies onto the landscapes we encounter.