Stables of Meccena's Villa, plate eleven from the Ruins of Rome Possibly 1798

M. Dubourg made this print, Stables of Meccena's Villa, in the early 19th century, using etching and aquatint on paper. The printmaking processes involved—the careful biting of the plate with acid, and the layering of tones—allowed Dubourg to capture the ruined architecture with great atmospheric effect. Note the contrast between the rough, crumbling surfaces of the ancient Roman brickwork and the smooth, controlled lines of the architectural structure itself. There is an art to capturing the effects of time. Consider, too, that Dubourg's printmaking enterprise depended on a network of labor: from the paper-makers and ink suppliers to the distributors who sold the finished prints. In his own way, Dubourg was as much a part of the burgeoning industrial age as those who made more obviously ‘modern’ things. The print is not just a depiction of ruin, but also an artifact of its own time.