Tempio di Mercurio 19th-20th century

Giorgio Sommer captured "Tempio di Mercurio" in Pompeii using photography, a medium that was still relatively new in the 19th century. Sommer, a German photographer based in Naples, catered to the burgeoning market of European travelers eager to consume romantic visions of Italy’s past. His photographs, like this one, offered tangible connections to classical antiquity. But, they also evoke questions about the gaze and privilege inherent in such tourism. Consider how Sommer's lens frames these ruins, remnants of a society built on slavery and conquest. Are we merely admiring aesthetic beauty, or are we acknowledging the complex histories embedded within these stones? Sommer's photographs participate in shaping our understanding of history and cultural identity, prompting us to reflect on whose stories are told and how. How do we reconcile the beauty of this image with the realities of the ancient world it depicts?