- New
Teatro Greco - Taormina
| Reference: | S42733.27 |
| Author | Giovanni CRUPI |
| Year: | 1885 ca. |
| Zone: | Taormina |
| Measures: | 225 x 175 mm |
€150.00
- New
| Reference: | S42733.27 |
| Author | Giovanni CRUPI |
| Year: | 1885 ca. |
| Zone: | Taormina |
| Measures: | 225 x 175 mm |
€150.00
Description
Albumen on paper, mounted on a contemporary support, circa 1885/1899.
The image bears the signature of renowned Sicilian photographer Giovanni Crupi at the bottom. The photograph captures the ruins of the cavea and stage of the Ancient Theater of Taormina, with a glimpse of the sea in the background. The image bears the original caption at the bottom: "No. 1 of the series dedicated to Taormina."
On the back of the paper is a photograph of the courtyard of the Pensione Caterina in Taormina, also by Giovanni Crupi, with the catalog number 196. It depicts the porticoed internal courtyard of a historic building in Taormina, adorned with stone columns, arches, and climbing plants. In period photographic archives (such as those of Crupi or Gloeden), the term "Cortile Pensione Caterina" or "Castello Caterina" often identified the outdoor spaces and cloisters of ancient religious structures that were partially fortified or converted into accommodations between the 19th and 20th centuries, such as the former convent of Santa Maria di Gesù.
Giovanni Crupi (Taormina 1861 – 1925) was an Italian landscape photographer, active in Taormina and Egypt (Heliopolis). For Crupi, photography was initially a hobby; only in 1885 did he transform it into a professional activity. He was a friend and colleague of Wilhelm von Gloeden, although the theory that he was the German photographer's teacher is unsupported. Crupi's artistic photographs are usually easily distinguished by a thick black band at the bottom, containing the image title and catalog number, as was customary in commercial photography of the time, along with Crupi's signature. In 1899, Crupi emigrated and opened a photography studio in Heliopolis, near Cairo. He returned home only in 1910 and, until his death, assisted a relative who had taken over his business, but never took up photography again.
Giovanni CRUPI (Taormina 1861-1925)
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Giovanni Crupi (Taormina, December 19, 1861 – Taormina, 1925) was an Italian landscape photographer, active in Taormina and Egypt (Heliopolis). For Crupi, photography was initially a hobby; only in 1885 did he transform it into a professional activity. He was a friend and colleague of Wilhelm von Gloeden, although the theory that he was the German photographer's teacher is unfounded: Gloeden himself stated in an autobiographical work in 1898 that he too had learned the rudiments of photography from Giuseppe Bruno. It cannot be denied, however, that in their landscape work, some points of contact can be found, in both senses. Likewise, a small number of Crupi's male nudes, set in archaeological sites in Syracuse, can be attributed to Gloeden's influence. Confusion between the two photographers is fueled by a small number of images bearing both Gloeden's and Crupi's stamps. However, these images are stylistically quite different from Crupi's work, so it's possible that the double stamp is due to Crupi acting as Gloeden's distributor: Gloeden's photographs are known to bear a second stamp by Brogi or Angelo Pedo, who we know for certain were distributors for third parties. Crupi's artistic photographs are, however, easily distinguishable, usually by the presence of a thick black band at the bottom, containing the image's title and catalog number, as was customary in commercial photography of the time, along with Crupi's signature. In 1899, Crupi emigrated and opened a photography studio in Heliopolis, near Cairo. He returned home only in 1910 and, until his death, assisted a relative who had taken over his company, but never resumed photography.
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Giovanni CRUPI (Taormina 1861-1925)
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Giovanni Crupi (Taormina, December 19, 1861 – Taormina, 1925) was an Italian landscape photographer, active in Taormina and Egypt (Heliopolis). For Crupi, photography was initially a hobby; only in 1885 did he transform it into a professional activity. He was a friend and colleague of Wilhelm von Gloeden, although the theory that he was the German photographer's teacher is unfounded: Gloeden himself stated in an autobiographical work in 1898 that he too had learned the rudiments of photography from Giuseppe Bruno. It cannot be denied, however, that in their landscape work, some points of contact can be found, in both senses. Likewise, a small number of Crupi's male nudes, set in archaeological sites in Syracuse, can be attributed to Gloeden's influence. Confusion between the two photographers is fueled by a small number of images bearing both Gloeden's and Crupi's stamps. However, these images are stylistically quite different from Crupi's work, so it's possible that the double stamp is due to Crupi acting as Gloeden's distributor: Gloeden's photographs are known to bear a second stamp by Brogi or Angelo Pedo, who we know for certain were distributors for third parties. Crupi's artistic photographs are, however, easily distinguishable, usually by the presence of a thick black band at the bottom, containing the image's title and catalog number, as was customary in commercial photography of the time, along with Crupi's signature. In 1899, Crupi emigrated and opened a photography studio in Heliopolis, near Cairo. He returned home only in 1910 and, until his death, assisted a relative who had taken over his company, but never resumed photography.
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