Gezicht op de haven van Capri before 1879

Curator: Giorgio Sommer’s “Gezicht op de haven van Capri," captured before 1879, showcases the harbor view of Capri through a gelatin silver print. It’s quite a window into the past, don’t you think? Editor: It does feel like peering into history. I'm immediately struck by the soft, almost dreamlike quality of the scene. The tones are so gentle, and the light seems to diffuse across everything. Curator: That ethereal quality, is likely enhanced by Sommer's pictorialist approach, wouldn't you agree? You notice it in the careful arrangement of elements, drawing the eye from those jagged rocks in the foreground across the water towards the buildings nestled beneath that dramatic cliff face. Editor: Yes, and I see the landscape organized into planes—foreground rocks, then the sea, the town as a middle ground, and then the colossal mountain rearing up as a stark, majestic backdrop. The structural rhythm moves so smoothly, it reminds me of Renaissance landscape paintings. Curator: Ah, a little nod to Italy’s artistic heritage, perhaps? The choice of perspective does make one think of classical compositions. It's intriguing how Sommer, through the lens of a camera, is engaging with those time-honored visual traditions. Editor: Absolutely. The textures too—the rough-hewn rock against the calm water, the organized, grid-like buildings sitting in between, they all seem deliberately chosen, carefully placed to make something like a formal declaration. It almost makes the photograph feel like an allegory. Curator: Interesting. I feel, looking at this image, that the camera becomes a kind of gentle time machine, presenting us not just with a geographical location but an entire mood. It is less about documentation and more about emotion—inviting the viewer to drift away in peaceful observation of life along the shore. Editor: It is, isn't it? Despite its representational fidelity, that softness of light feels like it gently pushes the world of fact gently into the realm of feeling. Curator: So, Sommer invites us not just to see, but to dream a little, as well. Editor: Precisely, a visual invitation to daydream, delivered straight from history.