The Roman antiquities, t. 4, Plate LIV. Section of the menagerie of wild beasts made ​​by Domitian. 

This is Giovanni Battista Piranesi’s etching of a section of Domitian’s menagerie of wild beasts. It’s part of a series titled "The Roman Antiquities," made in 18th-century Italy, a period when rediscovering and documenting ancient Roman architecture was very fashionable. Piranesi wasn’t just interested in the aesthetics of these ruins, but also in how they revealed the engineering and social life of ancient Rome. Here, he meticulously depicts the structure’s foundations and drainage systems, offering a glimpse into the logistical efforts required to maintain such a facility for public spectacles. The etching reflects the 18th-century fascination with classical antiquity. But the act of documenting and categorizing these ruins also mirrors the emerging institutionalization of art and history, as these images became part of a broader project of national identity and cultural heritage. To fully understand Piranesi’s work, one might delve into period accounts of Roman excavations, architectural treatises, and the social history of collecting and antiquarianism during the Enlightenment. The meaning of this image is contingent on these different contexts.