Italian Buildings within a Wall c. 19th century

Curator: This is "Italian Buildings within a Wall" by Domenico Quaglio. Editor: It feels so dreamlike. The etched lines give it a sort of hazy, nostalgic quality. Curator: Quaglio, active in the 19th century, was deeply interested in architectural rendering. This print highlights that precision, but within the rise of print culture, this was a reproducible commodity for mass consumption. Editor: I'm struck by the materiality, the labor involved in creating all those fine lines. It feels painstaking, but the end result is so ethereal. Curator: The framing, the wall, the obscured figure—it's as if Quaglio is considering the way public and private spaces intersect, as well as the way architecture itself shapes our perception of history. Editor: A great point, I agree. It really does make you consider the boundaries we create and inhabit.