Interieur van de Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, Milaan 1877 - 1890

This photograph of the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II in Milan, made by C. Hodcend, provides insight into 19th-century urban spaces. Its tones, textures and inherent qualities are all part of its aesthetic. The photograph's creation was a complex process. The photographer had to understand the chemical reactions that occurred when light hit the photographic plate, and the social context within which the image was created. The image shows the design and production of the Galleria. It's an iron and glass structure, made using the industrial methods of the time. The building was made using the labour of architects, engineers, glassmakers, ironworkers and other tradespeople. The building itself speaks volumes about nineteenth-century capitalism. It’s a temple of consumption, an arcade full of shops under a monumental roof. The Galleria is a monument to social life. This photograph captures a place where the boundaries between fine art, craft, and industrial production are blurred.