Veduta di Piazza di Spagna Possibly 1750 - 1807

Giovanni Battista Piranesi made this etching of Piazza di Spagna in Rome, a bird’s eye view of the famous piazza, using metal plates and acid. Consider the labor involved in producing this image: the meticulous work of incising lines into the metal, each one defining architectural details, human figures, and the texture of the sky. Piranesi was working at a time when printmaking was essential for disseminating images, acting as a visual record and a means of circulating artistic ideas. The etching could be reproduced multiple times, making it available to a wider audience. This brings up questions of access and consumption. Piazza di Spagna, the backdrop for Piranesi's print, was a hub of social activity. By etching this view, Piranesi wasn't just documenting a place, he was also participating in a culture of image-making that, in itself, was tied to commerce and trade. Printmaking allowed artists to engage with a broader audience, blurring the lines between the fine arts and more accessible forms of visual communication.