Vedute di Roma 

Giovanni Battista Piranesi created the "Vedute di Roma" etchings during a time when Rome was both a site of classical fascination and contemporary decay. Piranesi, trained as an architect, became renowned for his dramatic and detailed views of Rome, reflecting the 18th-century Grand Tour's infatuation with antiquity. But these weren't just postcards. Piranesi's Rome is a stage for reflecting on power, time, and memory. Through his manipulation of scale and perspective, Piranesi presents Rome's ruins as both majestic and melancholic. There’s a palpable tension in his work: the grandeur of the past is juxtaposed with the reality of urban decay, a theme that resonates even more poignantly when considering Piranesi's own position as an outsider – a Venetian in Rome – grappling with the weight of history. "Vedute di Roma" is not just a depiction of architecture; it's an exploration of identity, belonging, and the emotional impact of witnessing the passage of time.