Gezicht op de Tempel van Vesta in Tivoli c. 1870 - 1890

Giorgio Sommer captured this view of the Temple of Vesta in Tivoli with a camera, during a time when photography was still a relatively new medium. Sommer, a German photographer based in Italy, catered to the burgeoning tourist industry. In his image, we see the temple perched dramatically on a hillside. But what does it mean to capture this monument, to frame it for consumption? This photograph participates in a colonial gaze, one which transforms culture and history into a commodity. It was a time when the Western world was obsessed with antiquity, an obsession that often overshadowed the lived realities of the places and people being photographed. Consider how this image flattens a complex history into a picturesque scene, eliding the local narratives and experiences intertwined with this ancient site. It invites us to reflect on who gets to tell history, and how these visual representations shape our understanding of the world.