Balustrade met reliëf van de San Marco in Venetië before 1885

Carl Heinrich Jacobi captured this photograph of a balustrade with relief from the San Marco in Venice. This is not just a straightforward record, but rather a meditation on craft traditions. The balustrade itself, of course, is the key artifact here. It is likely made of stone, deeply carved with geometrical patterning. The dense, repeated motifs suggest the labor involved in its production, while also speaking to a broader culture of ornament. But consider also Jacobi’s investment in this subject. He was not simply documenting a scene, but rather framing the work of unknown artisans. Photography here serves as a way of drawing attention to handcraft, elevating it for consideration. So, in appreciating this image, we might think about the dialogue between the skilled labor embodied in the balustrade and the new industrial process used to capture it. This piece invites us to reflect on the rich interplay between different ways of making, and different kinds of value.