Amalfi: View from the Coast, ca. 1860 – 1870

About the Work

The area on the Gulf of Salerno figured prominently in Giorgio Sommer’s product range. By photographing striking sites from different perspectives, he amassed a large repertoire of multifarious views. Here we see the harbour of the once-powerful maritime republic Amalfi from a slightly elevated vantage point. On the beach, nets have been spread out between the boats for patching. The long masts of the sailing vessels point our gaze to the characteristic steep cliffs. According to the Baedeker travel guide of 1867, the region offers “a charming new landscape scene at almost every turn”. The intricately interleaved and overlapping houses have carved out a place for themselves at the foot of the rugged slopes.