A nineteenth-century albumen silver print by Fratelli Alinari, documenting the fourteenth-century fresco of Noah's Ark by Piero di Puccio in Pisa.

This albumen silver print by the Fratelli Alinari studio captures the fourteenth-century fresco cycle located within the Camposanto Monumentale in Pisa. The original work, attributed to the painter Piero di Puccio, depicts the biblical narrative of Noah and the Great Flood. The Alinari brothers, operating from their studio in Florence, were instrumental in the documentation of Italian heritage during the nineteenth century. Their approach to photography prioritised clarity and the preservation of historical detail, allowing scholars and the public to examine works that were often difficult to view in situ.

The photograph documents the narrative structure of the fresco, which is divided into distinct registers. The upper section shows the construction of the Ark, with figures engaged in carpentry and labour, while the surrounding space illustrates the onset of the deluge. The lower register provides a wider view of the landscape and the architectural context of the period. The Alinari print captures the tonal variations of the original plaster surface, translating the muted colours of the fresco into a monochromatic range.

By the late nineteenth century, the Alinari firm had established a comprehensive archive of Italian art. This print is an example of their systematic effort to catalogue the frescoes of the Camposanto. The image retains the original mount, which includes the studio's identification and the subject matter. It provides a record of the fresco's condition prior to the significant damage sustained by the Camposanto during the Second World War. This print is a document of both the medieval artistic tradition and the nineteenth-century photographic practice that sought to preserve it for future study.