[Giant Staircase in the Courtyard of the Palazzo Ducale (Doge’s Palace

A sepia albumen photograph of a grand staircase rising diagonally across the frame, its balustrade carved with rows of small panels and bands of ornament. Large panels of veined marble face the stair front, and arched openings with round windows appear in the background wall.

Look closer: Small round windows set in the arched wall behind the staircase.

Artist

Unknown

Date

1880s

Medium

Albumen silver print from glass negative

Source

The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Size

2956 × 2301 px

Credit (appreciated, not required for public-domain works): The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Gift of Lucien Goldschmidt, 1981