Boulevard van Bellagio aan het Comomeer c. 1859 - 1898

Editor: This photograph, "Boulevard van Bellagio aan het Comomeer" by Francis Frith, likely taken between 1859 and 1898, shows a cityscape along the shores of Lake Como. The print has a dreamlike, almost ethereal quality. How do you interpret this work? Curator: Immediately, the tower stands out as a key symbolic element. Towers have, across centuries, acted as beacons of civic power, religious authority, and, crucially, aspiration. Notice how it pierces the horizon, acting almost as a visual anchor to this burgeoning resort town. Editor: So, you're suggesting that the tower serves more than just a practical or aesthetic purpose? Curator: Precisely. The placement, almost centrally within the composition, imbues it with symbolic weight. The hazy quality that you pointed out furthers a sense of timelessness. Do you think it projects that into the city too? Editor: Perhaps it evokes a kind of nostalgia, idealizing a moment in time. The photograph itself is a record, but the softness almost suggests a fading memory. Curator: I would also point to the implicit contrast here. Note the 'natural' landscape of lake and mountain sloping into what humans have constructed: dwellings, boulevard. And there, in the foreground, we glimpse figures quietly inhabiting it. How does that impact the photograph, do you think? Editor: That’s really interesting to think about – it feels like this image is speaking to the impact we’re having on our surroundings, and that liminal space between nature and city. Thank you, I really appreciate the new perspective! Curator: And thank you, it's fascinating how different viewers bring their own associations to light.