Gezicht op de baai van Napels en Castel dell'Ovo 1857 - 1914

Giorgio Sommer produced this albumen print, titled "View of the Bay of Naples and Castel dell'Ovo," in the mid-19th century. This image presents us with a seemingly straightforward view of Naples, but it's worth considering the social context in which it was made. Sommer was part of a wave of photographers who catered to the burgeoning tourist industry. These images were commodities, bought as souvenirs by visitors eager to capture the picturesque scenes of Italy. Notice how Sommer frames the working class in the foreground, almost as if they are part of the scenery. This romanticized view of Neapolitan life conveniently overlooks the social and economic realities of the time. The image presents a vision of Italy tailored for foreign consumption, one that reinforces certain stereotypes and suppresses others. To truly understand this photograph, we can delve into archives, tourist guides, and other printed material to unpack the complex relationship between art, commerce, and cultural identity in 19th-century Italy.