Artists in the late 18th and early 19th century -- especially the "Romanticists" -- were very drawn to ruins of all kinds. Ruins have held a special fascination for people and especially for artists for a very long time. The reasons behind this have to do with the search for immortality, hoping traces of us will remain behind long after we're gone so people will remember what we did, and the whole idea that nature will ultimately reclaim what man builds and produces. Ruins that are covered in vines and other natural matter are far more interesting to the painter and photographer than the well-maintained ruins we have today at "historical sites" around the world. That mix of man's production with nature's reclamation strikes a chord in the human psyche that needs expression.
For photographers, ancient ruins, old houses, cemeteries, rusting cars, abandoned factories, and even dead creatures have been of interest since Day One when photography was discovered. There is simply something in human soul that finds a connection with the past and somehow sees a connection to "those who have gone before" through ruins and decay.
I think this is a very elemental spiritual/emotional/psychological phenomenon we cannot escape. Interested to hear other thoughts as well!
