Sala Rotonda in het Vaticaan c. 1857 - 1875

This is James Anderson's photographic print of the Sala Rotonda in the Vatican. Anderson, a British photographer working in Italy, captured this image during a time when photography was still a relatively new medium, often employed to document and disseminate images of classical art and architecture. The Sala Rotonda itself is a space filled with ancient Roman sculptures, reflecting a Western cultural obsession with classical antiquity. The statues, predominantly male figures, embody ideals of beauty, power, and heroism. It’s hard to ignore how these forms have historically shaped and continue to influence our perceptions of gender and identity. Anderson's photograph freezes a moment in this ongoing narrative. Think about what it means to reproduce such a place and its contents. What stories are privileged through this circulation, and what perspectives are left out? While seemingly a straightforward depiction, Anderson's work participates in a complex power dynamic, framing how we see and understand history.