Gezicht op Villa del Popolo en de Via Nuova te Napels, Italië 1864 - 1881

Giacomo Brogi captured this view of Villa del Popolo and Via Nuova in Naples, Italy, using photography. The image unfolds with a receding perspective, drawing the eye from the foreground street bustling with horse-drawn carriages toward the distant cityscape and bay. Consider how Brogi employs light and shadow to delineate forms and create depth. The structures, from the solid buildings to the ephemeral figures, are carefully arranged, yet, the photograph destabilizes fixed meanings of urban life. It presents a tableau of movement and stillness, commerce and leisure. In the context of semiotics, each element—the carriages, the buildings, the figures—functions as a sign, contributing to a broader narrative of urban life. Brogi's photograph can be seen not merely as a record of a specific place but also as a complex interplay of signs that invite ongoing interpretation.