Gezicht op de haven van Luogo Vivo 1778

Louis Ducros made this watercolor view of the harbor of Luogo Vivo sometime in the late 18th century. In its light touch and atmospheric effects, the work reveals the fascination with the southern Italian landscape on the part of northern European artists during this period. But what was at stake in this artistic encounter? Luogo Vivo is in the region of Calabria, a place subject to intense economic exploitation during the 18th century. The lack of definition in Ducros' image could be seen to reflect the social conditions of the place: a certain vagueness and lack of specificity. It does not name or describe any local people, or provide any clues as to the exact location of the harbor. To understand the image more fully, we might look at travel accounts from the period, or studies of the Italian economy. By combining knowledge from different disciplines, we can gain a deeper understanding of the social life of art.