Exterieur van het Dogepaleis te Venetië 1857 - 1914

This albumen print of the Doge's Palace in Venice was captured by Giorgio Sommer, sometime in the mid-19th century. Sommer, a German photographer based in Italy, produced countless images catering to the burgeoning tourist trade. This image offers us a glimpse into the performance of Venetian identity for outsiders. What does it mean to capture a building, a seat of power, as a mere souvenir? Sommer’s work raises questions about the power dynamics inherent in the act of seeing and representing a culture not one’s own. Consider the layers of history embedded in this photograph, from the Republic of Venice, to the moment of photography's emergence. How might we understand this image not just as a visual document, but as a cultural artifact that reflects both the photographer's perspective and the Western gaze on a city steeped in history?