Frontispiece: a man reaches toward a fallen column, a seated man beside him, trees and ruins beyond, from the series 'Views of Italy' (Vues d'Italie) 1645

"Frontispiece: a man reaches toward a fallen column, a seated man beside him, trees and ruins beyond, from the series 'Views of Italy' (Vues d'Italie)" is an etching created by the French artist Israel Silvestre in 1645. This print depicts a dramatic scene of Roman ruins with two figures standing amidst the crumbling arches and columns. The etching's dramatic composition and detailed rendering of the ruins are typical of the Italianate landscape style popular in 17th-century Europe. The print is part of a larger series, "Views of Italy," which showcased the beauty and history of the Italian landscape through the artist’s eyes.