Basilica en Neptunus-tempel te Paestum c. 1865 - 1880

Achille Mauri captured this photographic print of the Basilica and Temple of Neptune at Paestum. The temples, relics of ancient Greek civilization in Italy, served as potent symbols during the 19th century. As Europe grappled with shifting national identities and the rise of nation-states, classical antiquity became a shared cultural touchstone. Photography, a relatively new medium at the time, played a crucial role in disseminating these images. The Parthenon was used as a symbol of the cultural foundations of Europe. This photograph would have offered viewers a glimpse into this idealized past, reinforcing ideas about heritage, progress, and cultural superiority. To understand this photograph fully, we delve into the history of Paestum itself, the development of photography as a technology, and the cultural milieu of 19th-century Europe. Art, after all, doesn't exist in a vacuum; it reflects and shapes the societies that create and consume it.