View of the Dome of Saint Peter's, Rome 1863

Henri-Joseph Harpignies captured this watercolor "View of the Dome of Saint Peter's, Rome" in 1863. Harpignies, a 19th-century French painter, was part of a generation grappling with shifting social and political landscapes while also renegotiating artistic conventions. Here, the dome, a symbol of religious and patriarchal power, is intentionally distanced, viewed through a screen of nature. The trees assert themselves, perhaps hinting at a subtle shift in focus away from traditional authority toward the natural world, reflecting a period where old hierarchies were being questioned and redefined. The artist uses soft watercolors to give it an emotional aspect. What does it mean to frame such an iconic symbol through a veil of trees? Perhaps it's an invitation to consider the changing relationship between the individual and institutions during a time of significant transformation, a moment of cultural and personal re-evaluation.