Second Temple of Hera in Paestum

1852-1854
Firmin-Eugène Le Dien and Gustave Le Gray

Firmin Eugène Le Dien (1817−1865) visited the archaeological sites of Italy in the early 1850s. The remains of this Temple of Hera at Paestum in the south provide a fine example of architectural photography and attest to an interest in ruins already idealised in painting by Hubert Robert at the end of the 18th century. The narrow framing and slightly low angle of the shot endow them with a certain expressiveness. Photography breathed new life into the remains of the past and helped to preserve their traces by building up an invaluable record of the legacy of humanity.