Interieur van de Sala della Niobe in de Galleria degli Uffizi c. 1860 - 1880

This photograph shows the interior of the Sala della Niobe in the Uffizi Gallery and was taken by Giorgio Sommer in the late 19th century. Sommer was known for his detailed photographs of Italian landscapes, architecture, and artworks, catering to the burgeoning tourist industry. This image is a window into the way art institutions shaped the experience of art for visitors at the time. The Sala della Niobe, housing a collection of Roman sculptures depicting the myth of Niobe, was a key attraction for those on the Grand Tour. Sommer's photograph, sold as a souvenir, played a part in popularizing classical art and the Uffizi itself, reinforcing its status as a cultural landmark. The photograph flattens the three-dimensional sculptures, turning the artworks into reproducible images, divorced from their original context. Understanding photographs like this requires attention to the social and economic conditions of 19th-century tourism, as well as the institutional history of museums like the Uffizi. By examining tourist guides, and visitor accounts, we can gain a richer understanding of the cultural role of art and photography at the time.