Untitled (20) c. 1890

Ferdinando Ongania captured this view in Venice using an albumen print sometime in the late nineteenth century. Its tonal range is deliberately restrained, heightening our sensitivity to the way the composition unfolds. The photograph is structured by a strong horizontal emphasis, with the buildings, water, and sky forming distinct parallel layers. This layout creates a sense of depth, drawing the eye from the foreground—the textured dock with its equipment—to the receding architecture of Venice. Note how the tower on the left acts as a visual anchor, its verticality contrasting with the horizontal flow, thus emphasizing the scale and grandeur of the urban landscape. What strikes me is the photograph’s ability to capture Venice not merely as a place, but as a structured environment where historical and cultural elements converge. In this context, Ongania has crafted a study in architectural and atmospheric arrangement, inviting us to appreciate the interplay between form and space.