Vedute di Roma 

This engraving of the Colosseum in Rome was made by Giovanni Battista Piranesi. Look at the arches—repeated and rhythmic, almost like the heartbeat of a civilization. Since antiquity, the arch has symbolized triumph and imperial power, an idea borrowed and transformed through the ages. We see it in Roman aqueducts, triumphal arches, and later in Christian cathedrals, each instance echoing the last but charged with new cultural and religious meanings. The Colosseum itself, with its tiered arches, was a stage for spectacles of life and death. Consider how the arch, as a structure, frames space, inviting passage and promising new vistas. Psychologically, the arch can be seen as a gateway between worlds, a passage from the known to the unknown. Piranesi’s depiction captures not just the physical grandeur but also the emotional weight of this architectural form. It speaks to our collective memory of power, transition, and the enduring human quest for meaning across the ages.