Domenico Anderson
Lake Nemi and the Albanian Mountains
c. 1880

Name: Lake Nemi and the Albanian Mountains
Brand: Domenico Anderson
Price: 826.76 USD
Availability: InStock

About the Item

Domenico Anderson (1854 Rom - 1938 ibid.): View of Lake Nemi with view obscured by branches, leaves and reeds, Alban Hills, Vulcano Laziale, c. 1880, albumen paper print Technique: albumen paper print, mounted on Cardboard Inscription: Lower middle inscribed on the support: "In Nemi [...]". Date: c. 1880 Description: Lake Nemi, a crater lake in the Alban Hills about 30 kilometres southeast of Rome, has been a popular motif for painters travelling to Italy since the beginning of the 19th century and was also frequently visited by photographers. The nature piece shows a view of the body of water obscured by branches, grasses and leaves. The limited detail is unusual for landscape photography, which mostly shows nature panoramas. Since sky phenomena or wave movements cannot be captured due to the long exposure time, the surface of the lake is smooth and the sky cloudless. In the distance is the steep shore opposite, reflected in the water. The camera has captured a play of contrasts. While the rocks in the background appear pale, the fine leaves and grasses in the foreground, lying in shadow, stand out sharply and clearly. Their curved silhouettes are reflected in the water, making it difficult to distinguish between the depicted reality and the mirror image, but they gain in aesthetic value. A beautiful play of curved lines. Original photography with high sharpness of detail. An early testimony of travel photography. Around the middle of the 19th century, more and more tourists from middle-class circles travelled to Italy. At that time, photographs could only be taken with a great deal of time and expensive, unwieldy equipment. This made many tourists all the more grateful for the work of the professional photographer's studios on site to bring back a souvenir from afar for those who stayed at home or to collect as souvenirs. Famous photographers such as Carlo Naya, Giorgio Sommer or the Alinari brothers photographed the most famous sights of their home cities and went on journeys themselves to photograph the most popular destinations of their clients and offer them as albumen prints. Ancient art treasures were also photographed and offered to travellers. The high-quality photographs of sculptures and frescoes continued to make an important contribution to documenting art treasures and making them accessible to scholars from all over Europe, who previously had to rely on tracings or engravings if they could not view the original for themselves. Keywords: Italy view, documentary photography, architectural photography, travel photography, volcanic lake, crater lake, shore landscape, lake, reflection, water reflection, plants, shore, 19th century, Historicism, Nature, Italy, Nemi,

Creator:

Domenico Anderson (1854 - 1938, Italian)

Creation Year:

c. 1880

Dimensions:

Height: 9.77 in (24.8 cm)Width: 13.08 in (33.2 cm)

Period:

19th Century

Condition:

Good condition. Support and photograph slightly stained. Age-related discolourations around the edges of the backing.

Gallery Location:

Frankfurt am Main, DE