Templum Antiquum Ad Fontem Aegerium (Sant'Urbano alla Caffarella, Rome) 1545 - 1555

Curator: Looking at this print, what strikes you immediately? Editor: The precision. Every line meticulously rendered; it gives a sense of both permanence and impressive artisanal skill. Curator: That's a perfect lead-in. We're looking at an engraving, etching, and print known as "Templum Antiquum Ad Fontem Aegerium," or "Sant'Urbano alla Caffarella, Rome." It’s estimated to have been created anonymously sometime between 1545 and 1555. Editor: An unknown author, but undeniably familiar with the tools and conventions of early printmaking. The sharp lines are amazing considering the primitive process. Were they repurposing the etched plate, do you think? Curator: It’s plausible. The print participates in the popular 16th-century interest in antiquity. Think of how many artists and architects flocked to Rome during the Renaissance to study its ruins. This print almost certainly fed that interest, playing an active role in constructing an idealized image of Rome. Editor: Constructed is right! These classical forms were the standard for civic structures, of course. Do you see the way the shadows have been cross-hatched to indicate the volume and mass of this architectural structure? I think, in that era, an artwork was evaluated on the labor involved in its construction. Curator: Absolutely. It speaks to Renaissance humanism and an age grappling with its relationship to its classical past. A work like this also played a critical role in how classical aesthetics were understood, adapted, and later re-circulated, giving power to a certain vision. Editor: Making images portable also democratized information, though only to an extent given who could afford them. Looking at how meticulously each brick has been depicted I am reminded of the stonemasons toiling away at constructing an elite building and a visual artifact such as this drawing makes labor apparent in new and exciting ways. Curator: Indeed. Now, standing here reflecting on how art reflects the culture and forces it inhabits brings a fresh lens through which to look at artistic works. Editor: Yes! I think next time I visit the site itself and look for a similar commitment to skill.