Gezicht op de begraafplaats van Morcote before 1903

Franz Goerke made this black-and-white photograph of the cemetery of Morcote sometime between 1856 and 1931, the year of his death. This image comes to us as a reproduction within a book, a common format for the dissemination of photography in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The image, with its morbid subject matter, is a study in light and shadow. Goerke uses a high vantage point, looking down on the tombs below. The shadows cast by the trees and buildings create a sense of depth and mystery, leading our eye to the distant lake. This photograph reflects the period’s obsession with death and mourning, particularly in the context of urbanization and industrialization. Death became a subject for artists and writers seeking solace and meaning in a rapidly changing world. Goerke’s photograph asks us to contemplate the individual’s place within history, and how social change shapes our perception of death. Understanding the image fully requires the examination of journals and other publications dedicated to photography from this era. The historian's role is to situate the artwork within its original context and its subsequent circulation.