Gezicht op een brug in Pisa, Italië 1860 - 1881

Giacomo Brogi captured this photograph, titled "View of a Bridge in Pisa, Italy," sometime in the mid-19th century. Brogi, who lived through the era of Italian unification, documented the landscapes and daily life of a changing nation. Here, we see people traversing a bridge, their figures rendered in the soft focus characteristic of early photography. This image speaks to the burgeoning tourism industry of the time. The presence of hotels and cafes suggests a city catering to visitors, a phenomenon that both shapes and is shaped by the gaze of the outsider. Consider how Brogi's lens frames this scene. The composition invites us to reflect on the intersections of public and private life, as well as the commodification of culture and experience. In viewing it, we are invited to consider our own position as observers and participants in the ongoing narrative of history.