Station 6: Capri Diorama

In 1826 the Romantic painter, writer and inventor August Kopisch discovered the Blue Grotto. Then came the tourists. His painting of the grotto served to inspire sentimental postcard views and emotive Instagram posts. Kopisch also helped design a diorama of the Bay of Naples viewed by visitors seated in a boat. The technology for the diorama was first invented in Paris in 1822. It enabled the creation of a life-like three-dimensional scene using several layers of scenery and refined lighting effects – a precursor of cinema. In the 19th century, the introduction of new equipment to create illusions and reproduction devices gave birth to new world visions. The subjectivity that tourism fosters appropriates the world in image form, collecting it through souvenirs. Do you recognize the tourist attraction at the end of the grotto? This could be your next dream destination!