Piazza del Quirinale te Rome 1692 - 1717

This print, made by Gommarus Wouters in the late 17th century, depicts the Piazza del Quirinale in Rome. At the time, Rome was a major site for diplomatic activity and aristocratic tourism, with the Vatican exerting enormous power across Europe. Here, Wouters reproduces a familiar scene of Roman life for wealthy tourists: the famous ancient statues of Castor and Pollux are visible in the foreground, while horse-drawn carriages deliver people to the Papal palace. The print makes meaning through cultural references, and it gives us a clear sense of the performative aspects of Roman social life. The palace was redesigned by a series of Popes and prominent architects, and the result is a self-consciously grand architectural statement. The historian can interpret the artwork using many resources, including archival documents of the Vatican, guidebooks, and other published prints. Through this research, we come to understand art as something deeply contingent on social and institutional context.