Vittorio Sella Caucasus Photography

A pioneer of mountain photography, Vittorio Sella was an Italian photographer often referred to as “the photographer on top of the world.” He managed to capture mountain peaks across many regions, including an extensive journey through the Caucasus. An exhibition of Sella’s work was held at the Exhibition Pavilion of the National Archives of Georgia from May 5–13, 2018, as part of the Kolga Tbilisi Photo Festival.

The exhibition featured works by Vittorio Sella, who during his first non-European expeditions were tape-recorded in Georgia - Svaneti and Racha, whom he visited three times in 1889-1890 and 1896.

These photographs from the Caucasus Mountains offer a rare glimpse into a world once hidden from foreign eyes, until Vittorio Sella's visit. Even today, they continue to offer a window into that remote landscape. During his expeditions, Sella documented over thirty peaks, twenty of which were captured for the first time through his lens.

Later, particularly for his Caucasian expeditions, Vittorio Sella was awarded the Order of Saint Anna. His contributions extended beyond photography and mountaineering. His work proved invaluable from a topographic perspective, correcting inaccuracies in European academic geography papers.

His photographs capture moments of daily life in the mountains, combining ethnographic portraits with artistic landscapes, especially of Svaneti and Racha.