978 - Unknown (19th century), Arco della Pace, Piazza Sempione, Milan, around 1880, albumen paper print

Unknown (19th century), Arco della Pace, Piazza Sempione, Milan, around 1880, albumen paper print Unknown (19th century): Arco della Pace in Piazza Sempione, Milan, Italy, c. 1880, albumen paper print Technique: albumen paper print, mounted on cardboard Date: c. 1880 Description: The Arco della Pace is a triumphal arch in Piazza Sempione in the area of the Castello Sforzesco in Milan. Construction began in 1807 and was completed in 1838. It was initially intended to commemorate the glory of Napoleon and later the European Peace of 1815. Original photograph with high-detail sharpness. An early example of travel photography. Around the middle of the 19th century, more and more tourists from the bourgeoisie traveled to Italy. At that time, taking photographs required a great deal of time and involved expensive, cumbersome equipment. This made many tourists all the more grateful for the services of professional photography studios on site, allowing them to bring back a souvenir from their vacation or collect them as mementos. Famous photographers such as Carlo Naya, Giorgio Sommer, and the Alinari brothers photographed the most famous sights in their home cities and traveled themselves to photograph their customers’ favorite destinations, offering them as albumen prints. Ancient art treasures were also photographed and made available to travelers. The high-quality photographs of sculptures and frescoes continued to make an important contribution to documenting these art treasures and making them accessible to scholars from all over Europe, who previously had to rely on copies or engravings if they were unable to view the originals themselves. Keywords: 19th century, Historicism, Architecture, Italy, Size: Cardboard: 36.8 cm x 30.9 cm (14.5 x 12.2 in), Image: 24.3 cm x 18.5 cm (9.6 x 7.3 in) Condition: Good condition. The photographic image is striking for its attention to detail. Even the smallest decorative elements on the bow are sharp and clearly recognizable. Isolated minor signs of wear.