Santi Quattro Coronati in Rom 22 - 1828

Friedrich Maximilian Hessemer sketched Santi Quattro Coronati in Rome using graphite. Hessemer, like many artists, architects, and intellectuals of the 18th and 19th centuries, was drawn to Rome as a center of historical and artistic significance. The Santi Quattro Coronati, or Basilica of the Four Crowned Saints, in Rome, is a church that has undergone many structural changes since its early construction. The basilica symbolizes the layering of history and power that is typical of Rome. Hessemer's choice to depict this particular church may reflect his interest in the historical forces that shape a city's architectural identity. Historians of architecture can trace the physical changes to this structure through archival records, maps, and drawings. The social and political history of Rome is thus embedded in the bricks and mortar of buildings like the Santi Quattro Coronati.