N. 196 Palermo, Orta Botanico- Viale dell palme. c. 1893 - 1903

Giuseppe Incorpora created this photograph of the Orto Botanico in Palermo using a wet collodion process, a technique which renders the world in nuanced monochrome. The composition is dominated by the receding lines of the palm-lined avenue, creating a strong sense of depth. Incorpora uses light and shadow to articulate the textures of the foliage, contrasting the smooth trunks with the feathery fronds. The careful arrangement of the botanical specimens suggests a structured, almost artificial, natural space. The photograph's semiotic value is complex. On one level, it represents a desire to categorize and display nature for scientific and aesthetic appreciation. On another, it hints at the power dynamics inherent in such acts of collection and representation, reflecting broader colonial and scientific endeavors of the time. The monochromatic rendering, while documentary in purpose, elevates the image to a study of form, light, and texture, inviting us to contemplate the layers of meaning inherent in this carefully constructed vision of nature.