City photography becomes truly captivating when it allows for comparisons between different eras and the varied styles of photographers who have captured these urban landscapes. Let’s start with Venice, a city that, due to its overwhelming popularity, has nearly exhausted its image. Among the earliest documenters of Venice was Carlo Naya (lots 260, 261, 262, 263, 264), whose collection here includes a striking panoramic view from the top of the Campanile di San Marco, a classic shot of the Ponte dei Sospiri, and a unique image of the Basilica di San Marco with the Torre dell’Orologio, initially captured in albumen and later hand-coloured.
Fast forward to the 1940s, and we find a completely different perspective in the work of Osvaldo Bohm (lots 27, 28, 29, 30), who photographed a Venice we might not recognize today, preserving its ancient daily life.
Finally, we move to the 1960s with Fulvio Roiter (lots 294, 295, 296), whose black-and-white images present Venice without any romanticized sentimentality, followed by a later series from the 1980s showing the Carnival and its masks before they became a commercialized spectacle.
A similar approach can be applied to Rome. We begin with two 19th-century images: Luigi Sacchi’s (lot 306) view of the Palazzo della Cancelleria, described as “fotografo e luci rafo” for his meticulous composition, and Robert Macpherson’s (lot 227) depiction of the Fontana di Trevi. These are contrasted with William Klein’s (lot 195) bold take on Rome, presented in his book Roma, showcasing a city transformed by modern sensibilities.
Paris, a city marked by the legacy of countless photographers, features two unusual images by André Kertèsz (lot 191, 192) that offer a fresh view of the city. Milan, on the other hand, is more extensively covered: from Bruno Stefani’s (lot 330) meticulously composed images to Angelo Mereu’s (lotto 235) focus on intricate details, and finally to Maurizio Galimberti’s (lots 124, 125, 128) modern, dynamic style.
For a daring comparison, we turn to London, where Francis Frith’s (lot 121) 1860 documentation of the construction of the Crystal Palace showcases a marvel that fascinated the public of its time. In contrast, we see Marco Zanta’s (lots 378, 379) 2011 photographs of Shanghai, a city punctuated by skyscrapers that, in today’s world, no longer evoke the same sense of wonder.
Article by Roberto Mutti
