Landschap met ruïnes en het aquaduct naar Efeze c. 1880 - 1890

This photograph of a landscape with ruins and the aqueduct to Ephesus was created by Rubellin. It's a view of a storied locale, a landscape filled with ruins, which speaks to a fascination with classical antiquity that took hold of the European imagination in the 18th and 19th centuries. The remains of the Roman aqueduct and the castle on the hill evoke a glorious past, while the open, cultivated fields in the foreground hint at a different kind of achievement – humanity's ability to tame and cultivate the land. Photographs like this one would have been acquired as souvenirs by travelers on the Grand Tour, or perhaps collected by institutions, such as museums and libraries, keen to document archaeological sites. This would have shaped popular understanding and appreciation of classical history and art. Historical and archaeological archives are essential resources for understanding the cultural significance of artworks like this one.