Interior of the Colosseum (Colisei prospectus) c. 16th century

Curator: This is Hendrick van Cleve III's "Interior of the Colosseum," a plate rendering the iconic structure, likely dating from the late 16th century. Editor: The cross-hatching is so dense, yet the light feels surprisingly airy. It gives the ruins a lived-in quality, despite their monumental scale. Curator: Indeed. Van Cleve's choice to depict contemporary figures amidst the ruins speaks to Rome's layered history and its ongoing transformation. Editor: Look at the carts and laborers. They show how even the grandest architecture is ultimately subject to material use and eventual decay. The etching process itself, the carving into metal, mirrors that slow degradation. Curator: Precisely! The print served as both a historical record and a commentary on the transient nature of power and the public's relationship with monumental spaces. Editor: It's fascinating how the Colosseum, once a site of spectacle and control, is now just another source of raw material for daily life. Curator: The print lets us consider the enduring symbolic value of the Colosseum through a lens of how it changed over time. Editor: An artistic reminder of the human labor that built it and the human touch that wears it away.