Siena_ Piazza del Campo by Fratelli Alinari

Siena_ Piazza del Campo c. 1870

cardboard, albumen-print, paper, architecture

cardboard

albumen-print

personal snap photobooth

light pencil work

16_19th-century

wedding photograph

photo restoration

paper

historical photography

portrait reference

yellow element

photo layout

portrait drawing

italy

portrait character photography

architecture

building

This black and white photograph, taken by the Fratelli Alinari photography studio around 1870, showcases a woman in a seated pose, her gaze directed towards the viewer. The studio's work is known for its high quality and documentation of Italian life in the 19th century. The composition is simple yet compelling, highlighting the subject's presence through the use of light and shadow. The woman’s attire and the overall aesthetic reflect the fashion and artistic sensibility of the era. This photograph is now part of the collection at the Städel Museum, showcasing the artistic legacy of the Alinari studio.

Comments

stadelmuseum over 1 year ago

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The highly frequented Piazza del Campo seems eerily vacant. On the left there are two figures that can scarcely be made out. Presumably they were the only ones to keep still for long enough; the photo plates’ low sensitivity to light required a long exposure time, which made it impossible to record objects in motion. The Alinari brothers soon sought to make the most of what photography made technologically possible – hence the various distances can be made out in detail. In the 19th century the family business was one of the most successful in Italy. As a publishing house it still survives today.