Genius of Apollo 

Giovanni Battista Piranesi created "Genius of Apollo" as an etching during the height of the Enlightenment. Piranesi's interest in Roman antiquity reflects the period’s fascination with classical ideals and its complex relationship to power and empire. Here, we see a winged figure of Apollo driving a chariot pulled by griffins. This print is more than just a depiction of classical mythology; it speaks to the 18th-century construction of knowledge. Consider the depiction of Apollo, often seen as the embodiment of reason and order. He stands almost precariously on the chariot, seemingly on the verge of losing control, which invites us to question the stability of Enlightenment values. "Genius of Apollo" reflects the inherent tensions within the Enlightenment itself – the balance between reason and imagination, control and chaos, and the complex legacy of classical ideals on the modern world.