Fontein op Piazza di San Giovanni in Laterano te Rome 1653 - 1691

Editor: This is "Fontein op Piazza di San Giovanni in Laterano te Rome," created between 1653 and 1691 by Giovanni Battista Falda, held at the Rijksmuseum. It’s an engraving, and I’m immediately struck by the detailed rendering of both the fountain and the surrounding city life. What stands out to you in this print? Curator: The intricate engraving emphasizes the relationship between labor, materiality, and the urban environment. Notice how Falda meticulously renders the fountain's sculptural elements. The process of creating the fountain, the quarrying of stone, its transport, and the artist’s labor become paramount here. It serves a vital function – access to fresh water – for citizens. How does Falda represent that everyday consumption of vital resource? Editor: Well, there are people near the fountain… I guess I was drawn more to the grand architecture than to their labor. They're sort of incidental to my eye. Curator: Precisely! Think about the engraver’s role in disseminating this image. Prints made artworks more accessible to a wider audience and impacted urban development by visually shaping the aspirations of patrons and the wider population alike. Engravings like these became instruments in creating and communicating the idea of Rome. Don’t you see that connection more clearly now? Editor: I do, yes! Seeing it as more than just a pretty picture but as a documentation and even a tool for shaping perceptions, brings out the significance of the artist's choices so much more clearly. Curator: Absolutely! Falda’s "Fontein" then invites us to contemplate the relationships between production, consumption, and the creation of urban identity. Editor: This makes me see the print – the materials, the making of it - as such an active participant in shaping the identity of Rome. Thanks, this has been super insightful!