Twee afbeeldingen van Korinthische kapitelen van de San Marco in Venetië before 1885

Carl Heinrich Jacobi captured these two images of Corinthian capitals in Venice's San Marco, using photography, a relatively new medium at the time. While photography is seen as indexical, the act of taking pictures, printing, and compiling them into albums involves human labor. The choice of subject matter and the perspective from which it is photographed are far from neutral. These Corinthian capitals, with their acanthus leaves and intricate volutes, represent the height of classical architectural ornamentation. Creating these in stone requires skill and time, reflecting the artistic and cultural values of the society that produced them. The photograph captures a moment in time, but also a sense of the labor involved in creating such elaborate structures. Examining the photographs with a focus on materials and processes reveals a dialogue between classical art and the emerging industrial age, blurring the line between high art and the everyday.