Gezicht op het schiereiland Senglea op Malta 1860 - 1910

Horatio Agius captured this view of the Senglea Peninsula in Malta, using photography. The photograph presents a layered composition. Our eyes are immediately drawn to the robust cannon in the foreground. Agius contrasts the artillery with the dense, almost organic sprawl of Senglea in the midground. The architecture is tightly packed, the buildings blend into a singular mass, which then diffuses into the soft, muted horizon. The buildings form a complex geometrical arrangement which creates a sensation of depth. Agius uses light and shadow to articulate form. Notice how the sunlight rakes across the buildings and the fortifications, creating a play of textures and forms which lends a sculptural quality to the cityscape. The photograph invites us to consider the relationship between military power and urban life, and the historical forces which have shaped this landscape. This tension between structure and form invites endless interpretation.