View of the Campo Vaccino, with the Colosseum in the background and the ruins of the Temple of Castor and Pollux at right 1796

François Morel created this print of the Campo Vaccino, now known as the Roman Forum, at an unknown date. Morel, working in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, was a product of the Grand Tour era, a time when wealthy Europeans, particularly the British, traveled to Italy to immerse themselves in classical art and culture. This image presents a romanticized view of the past. It emphasizes the grandeur of Roman ruins. The composition, with its careful arrangement of crumbling structures, evokes a sense of nostalgia for a bygone era. The figures populating the scene are small and somewhat anonymous, dwarfed by the scale of the ruins. This juxtaposition invites viewers to consider their own place in history. Morel's work catered to the desires of his time, idealizing history for an elite audience. It prompts us to reflect on whose stories get told and how the past is often selectively framed through the lens of power and privilege.