Gezicht op het Piazza Colonna te Rome, met centraal de Zuil van Marcus Aurelius before 1907

Editor: This gelatin-silver print, taken before 1907 by Edizione Brogi, depicts the Piazza Colonna in Rome, dominated by the Column of Marcus Aurelius. It's quite striking how the classical monument contrasts with what looks like modern, bustling city life. What strikes you most about this image? Curator: I find it interesting to consider how this image participates in the long tradition of representing Rome, particularly its ancient monuments, for a broad public. Think about who Brogi, as a photographic firm, was trying to reach with this print. Were they primarily catering to tourists, or was there also a domestic market for images like these? Editor: That's a good point. I guess I hadn’t thought about who was consuming these images and why. Was there a kind of political element to how Rome was being presented through these photographs? Curator: Absolutely. Consider that this image presents a sanitized view of the city, perhaps meant to bolster a sense of national pride. Photography in this period was frequently used to promote specific narratives. Does this image, with its monument to imperial power surrounded by everyday life, evoke any specific feeling of Roman history? Does it feel triumphant or melancholy, for example? Editor: Now that you mention it, there’s a distinct sense of grand history intersecting with the mundane. The towering column represents imperial Rome, but it’s juxtaposed against ordinary people going about their day. I never would have considered it that deeply. Curator: Right. And how does that tension potentially contribute to shaping Italy’s cultural identity? Considering the institutional forces and marketing strategies at play allows for a new insight. Editor: Seeing it as part of a larger narrative definitely adds a new dimension for me. Thank you. Curator: Likewise. Examining images such as this helps unpack how historical narratives are shaped and disseminated.