Ruïne van de tempel van Concordia te Agrigento 1860 - 1889

Roberto Rive took this albumen print of the Ruïne van de tempel van Concordia te Agrigento sometime in the mid-19th century. Photography in this period involved a complex process, with glass plate negatives and chemical baths, ultimately fixed on paper. While seemingly immediate, the medium was in fact labor intensive. The tones in this print result from the chemical reaction of the silver salts, each image unique. Rive's choice to document this classical ruin speaks to a 19th-century fascination with antiquity, fueled by archaeological discoveries and the rise of tourism. Photography played a crucial role in disseminating these images, making ancient wonders accessible to a wider audience, and feeding a growing market for souvenirs. The crumbling columns and weathered stone, captured through a relatively new technology, creates a poignant dialogue between past and present. Considering the materiality and social context of this photograph allows us to appreciate it not just as a record, but as a crafted object, embedded in layers of history and human endeavor.