Plate 31: view of the column of Trajan, shown with its pedestal dug out from the earth, surrounded by buildings at the base of the Quirinal Hill, Rome, from the series 'Ruins of the antiquity of Rome, Tivoli, Pozzuoli, and other places' (Vestigi della antichità di Roma, Tivoli, Pozzvolo et altri luochi) 1606

Aegidius Sadeler II created this print, titled "Plate 31: view of the column of Trajan," as part of a series called 'Ruins of the antiquity of Rome, Tivoli, Pozzuoli, and other places'. It captures a moment in the early modern period where the weight of classical history began to be unearthed, literally and figuratively. The print depicts Trajan's Column, a monument erected in ancient Rome to commemorate Emperor Trajan's victory in the Dacian Wars. Sadeler's image draws us into a world where the past is being rediscovered. The column's base, partially excavated, hints at a sense of uncovering and reinterpreting history. Consider that Sadeler, living in the 16th and 17th centuries, was part of a generation grappling with the legacy of the Roman Empire, seeking to reconcile it with contemporary life. This image is not just a depiction of a ruin; it's a reflection on how societies engage with their past and how these ancient structures continue to shape our present.