Signifer Corniculario with various signs and Roman (from the Trajan column) 

This black and white print by Giovanni Battista Piranesi shows a collection of Roman military standards. Its dense composition with contrasting textures creates an effect of somber grandeur. Piranesi’s image offers more than a mere depiction; it presents a structural study into the visual language of Roman power. Note the arrangement of the symbols. Each object — the aquila, the lion's skin, the portraits — functions as a signifier within a complex semiotic system. Placed in a hierarchical order, these forms communicate the layers of Roman military identity. The precise detailing, achieved through meticulous engraving, enhances the visual impact, inviting us to decode the values and aspirations they embody. The print stands as a testament to Piranesi's formal skill, but also as a mirror reflecting the structures of power and representation in eighteenth-century Europe. It reminds us that art is not just about seeing, but about critically interpreting the visual codes that shape our understanding of the world.