View at Vietri, in the Gulf of Salerno c. 19th century

Editor: This is Wilhelm Friedrich Schlotterbeck's "View at Vietri, in the Gulf of Salerno," a sepia print. The scene is calm, almost staged. What underlying narratives do you see in this depiction of daily life? Curator: It's interesting to consider this print as a constructed view of Southern Italy. While seemingly idyllic, these landscapes often obscured the harsh realities of labor and class divisions. Who is allowed to be idle in this image, and who is working? Editor: That's a great point! The people near the boat seem to be working while the others are conversing. Curator: Exactly. And how might the artist’s perspective as an outsider influence this portrayal? Is he romanticizing a place he doesn’t fully understand? Editor: I never considered that! It really changes how I see the print. Thanks! Curator: Of course! These landscapes invite us to question whose stories are being told and whose are being erased.