Façade van Palazzo Senatorio after 1655

This print of the Façade van Palazzo Senatorio was made by Giovanni Battista Falda in the late 17th century. The printmaking process itself is crucial to understanding this image. Consider the painstaking labor involved in creating the matrix – probably a copper plate – from which this image was printed. The artist would have used specialized tools to incise lines into the metal, building up the image detail by detail. The density of these marks determines the tonal range of the final print. This laborious process speaks to the values of precision and control that were prized in the architecture of the period. Note the building's symmetry, and the regular repetition of windows and decorative elements. The print medium, with its capacity for crisp lines and infinite reproducibility, was ideally suited to disseminate these ideals of order and rationality. By appreciating the work and skill involved in its production, we can understand this print not just as a representation of a building, but as a cultural artifact that reflects the values of its time.