Theatre of Marcellus c. 19th century

Editor: This is Luigi Rossini's "Theatre of Marcellus." It's an etching, and I'm struck by the contrast between the grandeur of the architecture and its state of decay. What's your take on this piece? Curator: It's less about decay, more about time, isn't it? Rossini's etchings always seem to whisper of the past, inviting us to imagine the theatre filled with Roman citizens, then juxtaposing that with the quiet, everyday life happening around the ruins centuries later. Does it spark that kind of reverie in you? Editor: Definitely. There's a beautiful layering of history here. Curator: Precisely. A quiet grandeur. It makes me think about our own fleeting moment within a much larger story. What a stage!