Interieur van de Senaatszaal in het Dogepaleis te Venetië c. 1882 - 1892

This photograph captures the "Interieur van de Senaatszaal in het Dogepaleis te Venetië." While the artist remains anonymous, the subject matter speaks volumes about power, governance, and identity. The Doge's Palace in Venice was the epicenter of Venetian political power for centuries. In this image, we see the Senate Chamber, a space where critical decisions impacting the Venetian Republic were made. Though the photograph does not explicitly represent people, it evokes a sense of the social dynamics inherent in such a space. The grandeur of the chamber, with its ornate ceiling and imposing layout, reflects the opulence and authority of the Venetian state. Spaces like this are not neutral; they perform power and influence behavior. How did this space reinforce hierarchies? And how did it feel to be in such a place, depending on one's position in Venetian society? Consider the identities of those who would have been excluded from such chambers because of their gender, class, or origin, and how this space was a constant reminder of their exclusion.