Body Cast from Pompeii 1880

This photograph of a body cast from Pompeii was created by Giorgio Sommer sometime in the mid to late 19th century. The image captures a plaster cast of a human form, curled in a fetal position, a poignant relic of the catastrophic eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD. Sommer, who catered to the burgeoning market for archaeological tourism, offers us more than just a historical document. In the 19th century, the rediscovery of Pompeii captured the imagination of Europe, feeding into romantic notions of antiquity, but also reflecting on the fragility of human life in the face of nature's power. The body cast provides a visceral connection to the human tragedy of Pompeii. The figure's posture speaks of fear and desperation, a final attempt at self-preservation. What identities and experiences are forever sealed within this form? Sommer's photograph invites us to meditate on the human cost of history, and on our shared vulnerability.