Freschi di Pompei 19th-20th century

Giorgio Sommer made this albumen silver print of frescoes in Pompeii sometime in the mid-19th century. Sommer, a German photographer based in Naples, catered to the burgeoning tourist trade, offering views of the ancient world alongside images of contemporary Italian life. This image presents a wall painting discovered during the ongoing excavations of Pompeii, frozen in time by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD. The photograph, in turn, makes the ancient world available for modern consumption. Through the relatively new medium of photography, Sommer democratized access to classical art and architecture, extending the Grand Tour experience to those who might never travel to Italy. We can see the social impact of this imagery in the Neoclassical art and design that was very popular at this time. Sommer’s photograph documents not just a relic of the past, but also its reinvention in the present. To fully understand this work, one could consult archaeological reports, tourist guides, and photographic inventories from the period. These resources reveal the complex interplay between art, commerce, and cultural fascination that shaped the reception of Pompeii in the 19th century.