Gezicht op de opgravingen van Pompeï c. 1870 - 1900

Giorgio Sommer made this photograph of the excavations at Pompeii, in Italy, sometime in the late 19th century. It captures not just a historical site, but also the burgeoning field of archaeology as it captured the public imagination. The image presents us with an ordered view of the unearthed city. This evokes the systematic and scientific approach that was increasingly defining archaeological practices in Europe. Thinkers of the time were influenced by positivism, so it makes sense that they would seek to impose a rational order on their excavations. Sommer's choice of vantage point and the composition of the photograph highlight this sense of order. The long, straight road receding into the distance invites the viewer to imagine the city being neatly revealed layer by layer. To understand this image fully, we might look into the history of archaeological methods, the development of photography as a tool for documentation, and the broader cultural fascination with antiquity. These are all social and institutional contexts that lend greater meaning to the photograph.