The Roman antiquities, t. 1, Plate XXVIII. "Baths of Titus" (really the Baths of Traianus). 1756

This etching of the Baths of Titus was made by Giovanni Battista Piranesi, an Italian artist known for his detailed depictions of Roman architecture. Piranesi lived in the 18th century when the Grand Tour, a cultural pilgrimage for wealthy Europeans, was in vogue. Piranesi's work was deeply influenced by the cultural and political context of his time. He was part of a generation grappling with the legacy of the Roman Empire. He presents us with the grandeur of the past but also confronts us with its ruin. The crumbling structures are a potent metaphor for the transience of power and the inevitable decay of even the most magnificent civilizations. Look closely at the figures he includes! Are they tourists, perhaps? These images, while ostensibly about architecture, become meditations on time, memory, and human ambition. There is a melancholic beauty in these ruins, as though they whisper tales of glory and loss. Piranesi invites us to consider our own place in history, and the legacies we will leave behind.