Gezicht op de Brug der Zuchten vanaf de Riva degli Schiavoni c. 1860 - 1890

This photograph of the Bridge of Sighs from the Riva degli Schiavoni was captured by Giorgio Sommer, a German photographer based in Italy during the late 19th century. Sommer's work often romanticized Italian landmarks, catering to the booming tourism industry. But this image does more than just showcase Venice's beauty. There's a tension here. We see the bridge, a symbol of transition, but it was also the last glimpse of Venice for prisoners being led to their cells. The “sighs” were theirs, a breath of sorrow and regret. Sommer's lens gives us a glimpse into the power structures of the time, the stark division between beauty and despair, freedom and incarceration. How do we reconcile the aesthetic appeal of this image with the dark history it hints at? How does it feel to consider that this beautiful city was also a site of confinement?