Gezicht op het San Marcoplein met de Campanile van Venetië c. 1860 - 1880

This is Giorgio Sommer's photograph, "View of the Piazza San Marco with the Campanile in Venice". It is a mounted albumen print. The composition presents us with a symmetrical doubling of the Venetian landscape, immediately drawing our eye to the interplay between representation and reality. The sepia tones lend a nostalgic air, yet the precision of the architectural details anchors us in the specifics of place. Sommer’s technical approach invites a structuralist reading. The photograph can be decoded as a system of signs. The Campanile and the Basilica serve as dominant signifiers of Venetian identity. The mirroring effect destabilizes the singular, creating a dialogue between authenticity and reproduction. The formal repetition prompts us to question fixed meanings and explore how duplication can alter our perception. Ultimately, Sommer's photograph functions as more than a mere depiction of a famous locale. It is an investigation into the semiotics of place, challenging us to consider how images shape our understanding and experience of cultural icons.