Restanten van een oven in Pompeï c. 1860 - 1900

Giorgio Sommer captured this photographic print of the "Restanten van een oven in Pompeï" – the remains of an oven in Pompeii. The photograph presents a desolate yet geometrical space, defined by ruined walls and a series of truncated, hourglass-shaped structures. Sommer employs a muted palette, focusing on texture and form to convey the scene's somber atmosphere. The composition emphasizes the repetition and variation of shapes. Each structure, slightly different, marks a passage of time and suggests the communal activity that once animated this space. This exploration of form and structure aligns with a semiotic study. The oven, a signifier of sustenance and community, is now a ruin, a testament to loss. Sommer's photograph invites reflection on the transience of human endeavors. The interplay between the solid forms and empty spaces, the textures of brick and stone, contribute to a composition that speaks of absence and echoes.