La Badia, Florence 1926

Louis Conrad Rosenberg made this etching, La Badia, Florence, sometime during his career as an American artist who documented architectural subjects in Europe and the Middle East. The print gives us a bird’s-eye view into a traditional European scene. At the center are the intersection of buildings, where we can see the bell tower of the Badia Fiorentina. While this may seem like a charming city scene, it also acts as a window into the way we view Europe. From the figures walking along the cobble stone streets to the old architecture and the language written on the shops, it may feel to some as though you were actually there. What does it mean to connect with an artwork such as this, that may not represent your own history? Rosenberg’s etching invites us to explore themes of place, history, and identity and reminds us of our own personal stories.