Deel van de gevel van de San Marco te Venetië c. 1882 - 1892

This is an anonymous photograph of part of the facade of San Marco in Venice. The basilica is a fascinating example of the politics of imagery, a building that borrows classical forms and Byzantine ornamentation in ways that speak to Venice’s complex history as a mercantile power in the Mediterranean. Constructed over centuries, the Basilica di San Marco was the Doge's chapel, a symbol of Venetian state power and wealth. How did Venice establish its dominance? By controlling trade routes and accumulating valuable objects, many of which were incorporated into the very fabric of the church, such as the spoils brought back from the sack of Constantinople in 1204. To understand a photograph like this, we can trace the history of Venice, its institutions, and its relations to other cultures. Historians consult a range of documentary sources – architectural plans, trade records, and diplomatic correspondence – to understand how art is embedded within social and institutional contexts.