Ingangspartij met fontein 1787

This is an anonymous line engraving, depicting an entrance with a fountain. The piece offers us a glimpse into the world of 18th-century Italian aristocracy. The architectural rendering emphasizes the power and prestige associated with the upper classes, whose lives revolved around lavish displays of wealth and status. The fountain, the symmetrical design, and classical motifs speak to the cultural values of the time. The inscription at the bottom tells us it's a design belonging to a secretary of the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Milan, suggesting the intersection of art, power, and administration. The Academy was an institution that upheld certain artistic standards. Consider how spaces like this visually reinforced hierarchies and shaped social interactions, and what emotions these carefully crafted environments were designed to evoke.