Cloister of San Martino monastery in Naples 

Roberto Rive captured this image of the cloister of San Martino monastery in Naples using photography, a process rooted in chemistry and optics. Consider the technology of the mid-19th century: glass plates coated with light-sensitive emulsions, a darkroom tent for on-site development, and the artist's practiced hand in controlling light and shadow. The sepia tone, inherent to early photographic processes, lends the scene an antique quality. The sharp architectural details and the soft focus on the monks, speak to Rive's mastery of the wet collodion process. More than a mere record, photography became a powerful tool for documenting sites and people, shaping perceptions of culture and identity. Rive was aware of the chemical and optical processes, and in how these processes have imbued the artwork with social or cultural significance, but also in the photograph's capacity to reflect and shape the world around it. Photography like this challenges our definitions of art and craft, inviting us to consider the artistry inherent in technological processes, and the cultural significance of photographic representation in the 19th century.