Gezicht op de kliffen van Sorrento en Hotel Tramontano, Italië 1857 - 1914

This photograph of the cliffs of Sorrento and the Hotel Tramontano in Italy was created by Giorgio Sommer sometime in the mid-19th century. Sommer, a German photographer based in Italy, captured the picturesque beauty of the Italian landscape, catering to the burgeoning tourism industry. The image presents a seemingly straightforward view, yet it subtly intersects with complex issues of class, labor, and representation. The grand Hotel Tramontano, perched atop the cliffs, embodies luxury and leisure, a stark contrast to the unseen labor required to construct and maintain such establishments. Consider how the local population's lives were affected by the demands and expectations of wealthy tourists. Sommer's photograph invites us to reflect on the power dynamics inherent in the act of seeing and being seen. Whose stories are centered, and whose are marginalized in this representation of Sorrento? It’s a delicate balance between romanticizing a location and acknowledging the layered realities of its inhabitants.