View of the Basilica of St. Lawrence Outside the Walls 

Giovanni Battista Piranesi created "View of the Basilica of St. Lawrence Outside the Walls" as an etching sometime in the 18th century. Piranesi was known for his dramatic depictions of Roman architecture, and this work is no exception. The basilica, a site of Christian pilgrimage, is presented not as a sacred space apart from the world, but deeply embedded in the everyday lives of the Roman people. The figures that populate this scene are not the wealthy or powerful, but the working class, rendered with an attention to their labor. The inclusion of these ordinary people brings a human element to the grandeur of the architecture. Through his art, Piranesi seems to ask us to consider whose stories are told through architectural monuments. While the Basilica speaks to centuries of religious tradition, Piranesi makes sure that we don't forget the people whose labor and lives were lived in its shadow. It’s a reminder that every grand structure is built on the lives of those often unseen.