The Pantheon exterior (Veduta del Pantheon d'Agrippa oggi Chiesa di S. Maria ad Martyres) 1720 - 1778

Giovanni Battista Piranesi created this etching of The Pantheon in Rome during the 18th century, a time when the Grand Tour was in vogue. Aristocrats journeyed across Europe, and Rome, with its layers of history, was a focal point. Piranesi wasn't merely documenting architecture; he was interpreting it. His dramatic, often exaggerated, perspectives imbued these ancient structures with a renewed sense of grandeur. Note the small figures populating the scene. They are dwarfed by the scale of the Pantheon, emphasizing human insignificance in the face of history and time. The Pantheon itself has undergone several transformations. Originally a Roman temple, it was later consecrated as a Christian church, Santa Maria ad Martyres, reflected in the work's title. This intersection of pagan and Christian histories speaks to Rome's complex identity, a city built upon layers of belief and power. Piranesi's Rome wasn't just a city of monuments; it was a stage upon which dramas of history and identity played out.