View of the Square and Basilica of St. John Lateran 

This print, titled "View of the Square and Basilica of St. John Lateran," was created by Giovanni Battista Piranesi in the 18th century. Piranesi captures not just a scene, but the complex layers of history and power embedded in Rome’s urban landscape. At the heart of the image is an Egyptian obelisk, a symbol of ancient power, now standing in a Christian square. The obelisk, covered with hieroglyphs, speaks to the appropriation and transformation of cultural artifacts across time. Note the Basilica in the background, representing the authority of the Catholic Church, and the figures in the foreground, dwarfed by the scale of the monuments, which suggest the everyday lives unfolding within these historical spaces. Piranesi’s Rome is a city of palimpsests, where each era leaves its mark on the physical and cultural landscape. The artist uses his skills to highlight themes of cultural exchange, religious power, and the passage of time.