Twee afbeeldingen van kapitelen van de San Marco in Venetië before 1885

This is a photograph by Carl Heinrich Jacobi, capturing two capitals in Venice's San Marco. The choice of photography as a medium is telling. Photography allows for the precise capture of architectural details. Here, it highlights the labor-intensive process of carving those marble capitals. Look at the intricate designs: the swirling leaves, the precise geometric patterns. Each one required countless hours of skilled craftsmanship. The columns themselves, likely quarried and transported from distant lands, speak to a global network of trade and extraction. The photograph freezes the elaborate ornamentation of the capitals. It's a testament to the enduring power of skilled labor. It collapses the traditional distinction between art and craft, raising questions about the value we place on different forms of making.