Gezicht op de tuinzijde van het Palazzo Pitti te Florence c. 1865 - 1900

The Alinari brothers made this albumen print of the Palazzo Pitti in Florence. It is one of many images they produced to serve the booming tourist trade in Italy from the 1850s onwards. This image constructs meaning through its depiction of power. Built in the 15th century, the Palazzo was home to the Medici family, rulers of Florence and later, Tuscany. By the time this photograph was taken, the Palazzo was a symbol of Italian nationhood. Consider how this commission shaped their work. They chose a viewpoint that emphasised the building's mass, a celebration of Florentine power. But there is a complete absence of people in the photograph which creates a sense of sterile grandeur. Art historians consult a range of sources to better understand photographs like this one: government records, tourist guides, and census data to reveal the complex interactions between politics, culture, and society that shape artistic production.