Gezicht op de zijgevel van het Camposanto te Pisa, Italië 1860 - 1881

Editor: Here we have Giacomo Brogi’s "View of the Lateral Facade of the Camposanto in Pisa, Italy," a photograph taken sometime between 1860 and 1881. There's something quite calming about the repetition of arches, but also something imposing in its scale. What strikes you when you look at this image? Curator: The Camposanto itself, a monumental cemetery, holds a complex history intrinsically linked with power, religion, and the romanticization of death. Brogi's choice to capture its façade during a period of intense Italian nationalism speaks volumes. Consider the unification movement; how might photography like this have fueled a sense of national pride by documenting and, in a sense, claiming ownership of such significant cultural sites? Editor: So, it's more than just a pretty picture of a building? Curator: Exactly! Think about who had access to these images and what narratives they reinforced. Photography at the time often served the interests of the elite, shaping perceptions of national identity and cultural heritage. This image may also hide the exploitation of labor to achieve the monument we see in the photo. How do you think the formal composition – the orderly rows of arches – might contribute to this narrative? Editor: Perhaps it reinforces the idea of order and control, of a unified national identity neatly packaged for consumption? Curator: Precisely. And what voices might be missing from this constructed view of Italian history? This building in itself becomes a signifier that prompts questions around political intentions, erasure, and biased historical records. Editor: I hadn’t considered how much the photograph’s purpose is rooted in Italian history. Thank you. I'll never look at architectural photography the same way again. Curator: That's the power of art, isn’t it? It prompts us to question what we see and to consider the complexities that lie beneath the surface.