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

This photograph by Giorgio Sommer captures the interior of the Hotel Pagano's dining room in Capri, Italy, sometime in the late 19th century. It shows a long table set for a meal, in front of a wall painting of comical figures. The mural is rich with cultural references, echoing the long history of Capri as a resort destination for the European elite. We see bacchanalian figures enjoying wine. The image promotes leisure, celebration and perhaps a bit of excess. The silhouettes in the foreground are ambiguous - are they further playful decoration, or are they Sommer's commentary on the hotel's clientele? Capri was a popular destination for artists and writers at this time, and Sommer was well-placed to benefit from this burgeoning tourist trade. He sold views of local attractions, and pictures like this would have been a valuable advertisement for Hotel Pagano. Historians interested in tourism, social class, and the growth of photography as a commercial enterprise can research Sommer’s business records and Capri’s visitor logs. This will help us to better understand the painting’s meaning as an artwork which is contingent on its social and institutional context.