Altaar in de San Marco in Venetië before 1885

This is a photograph of the altar in San Marco, Venice, created by Carl Heinrich Jacobi in the 19th century. The image captures the altar's intricate details, emphasizing the physical qualities of the stone. Notice the weight and texture of the marble, the careful carving, the steps leading up to the altar, and the columns that support its structure. This stone material, although luxurious, was the product of quarrying and craftsmanship. Its extraction would have involved manual labor, shaping, and transportation by skilled stonecutters, masons and builders, and its journey from raw material to finished altar is a tale of human effort. The altar reflects the opulence of the church and, by extension, the wealth and power of the Venetian state. But it's worth remembering that the grandeur of this place of worship was built on the backs of countless workers. This photograph prompts us to consider the labor, politics, and economics embedded in every object we encounter.