Restanten van het Casa di Cornelio Ruffo in Pompeï - Giorgio Sommer

A detailed 19th-century albumen print by Giorgio Sommer documenting the archaeological remains of the Casa di Cornelio Ruffo in Pompeii.

This albumen print by Giorgio Sommer captures the ruins of the Casa di Cornelio Ruffo in Pompeii. Sommer, a German photographer based in Naples, operated one of the most prolific studios in Italy during the nineteenth century. His work provided European audiences with a visual record of the archaeological excavations at Pompeii, which were then a subject of immense public interest.

The composition focuses on the peristyle and the impluvium, a characteristic feature of Roman domestic architecture. In the foreground, two decorative supports for a table or basin stand near the water feature. Behind these, a herm—a square stone pillar topped with a bust—is positioned against a wall that retains traces of original fresco decoration. The background reveals the colonnade of the atrium, with the distant silhouette of Mount Vesuvius visible beyond the broken walls.

Sommer utilised the albumen process, which allowed for the reproduction of fine detail in the stone textures and the shadows cast across the courtyard. The image functions as a documentary record of the site as it appeared during the late Victorian era. The clarity of the print allows for an examination of the structural remains, including the weathered columns and the remnants of the wall paintings. This photograph is part of a broader catalogue of Italian sites produced by Sommer, which were often sold as souvenirs to travellers on the Grand Tour. The print maintains a neutral, objective perspective, documenting the state of the ruins without the romanticised embellishments common in earlier artistic depictions of the site. It provides a clear view of the spatial arrangement of a Roman house, showing the relationship between the interior living areas and the open-air courtyard.