Rome_ Fishermen on the Tiber near the Castel Sant’Angelo by Gioacchino Altobelli

Rome_ Fishermen on the Tiber near the Castel Sant’Angelo c. 1860

cardboard, albumen-print, paper, architecture

cardboard

albumen-print

photo of handprinted image

aged paper

light pencil work

16_19th-century

pale palette

muted colour palette

photo restoration

light coloured

paper

ink colored

watercolour illustration

italy

watercolor

architecture

"Fishermen on the Tiber near the Castel Sant’Angelo" is a photograph by Gioacchino Altobelli from around 1860. The image depicts a picturesque scene on the Tiber River in Rome, with the Castel Sant'Angelo and the dome of St. Peter's Basilica in the background. The photograph, now part of the Städel Museum collection, captures the essence of 19th-century Italian life, showcasing the timeless beauty of the city and its iconic landmarks. Altobelli's skill in capturing the light and shadow of the scene creates a sense of depth and tranquility, while the fishermen in the foreground add a touch of everyday life to the composition. The work serves as a poignant snapshot of Roman life during the mid-19th century, reflecting the city's enduring appeal to artists and tourists alike.

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stadelmuseum over 1 year ago

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Gioacchino Altobelli had previously been active as a history and portrait painter. Here he staged Christian Rome in a photographic composition distinguished by the utmost harmony. The Ponte Sant’Angelo with its Baroque sculptures by Gian Lorenzo Bernini divides the pictorial field about halfway between top and bottom, leaving plenty of space for the reflections of St Peter’s Basilica and the Castel Sant'Angelo in the smooth surface of the Tiber. The photographer was judicious in his choice of staffage in the foreground. The pipe smoker’s fishing rod and the long stick leaning against the shoulder of the man on the bank point the viewer’s gaze to the main monuments, which appear all the more imposingas a result. At the same time, with the fishing motif Altobelli was alluding to symbolic imagery widespread in the Christian pictorial tradition. He was one of the city’s most successful photographers.