Tomba Elvo 1890

This is Tomba Elvo by Giuseppe Barberis. It's a printed image, and the mechanical nature of the printing process itself is essential to understanding its meaning. The texture is created by the cross-hatching of lines, which is an industrial technique. We can see the bridge and the buildings. Notice the figures on the bridge. It is a depiction of working class laborers, and it also speaks to the larger social context of the time. This method was a popular one in the 19th century for reproducing images widely and cheaply. It was not unique to the fine arts. These kind of prints democratized image production. By looking closely at the materials and processes, we can understand the social and economic conditions that gave rise to the image. It challenges the idea that art is separate from the everyday world.