Scenic view of the aforementioned kitchen 

This is Giovanni Battista Piranesi’s etching of a kitchen plan, created sometime in the 18th century. Piranesi was an Italian artist, architect, and antiquarian, deeply invested in the grandeur of ancient Rome and he sought to document its architectural legacy. This blueprint is from a time when Europe was rediscovering classical antiquity, fueling a fascination with its architecture and design. Piranesi's work is evocative because it doesn't just offer a technical drawing; it seems to hint at the social dynamics and hierarchies that structured daily life in these spaces. Consider the kitchen, a place of labor, sustenance, and perhaps, for some, a site of oppression. This work makes you think about the lives of those who toiled in the shadows of grand architecture. It encourages you to reflect on the stories of those who were often unseen.