Torre Dell’elefante Con Saracinesca 1895

Giuseppe Barberis made this print of the Torre dell’elefante using engraving, a technique with a long and rich history. The image is created by incising lines into a metal plate, which are then filled with ink and printed onto paper. Consider the weight and density of the stone depicted. Each block had to be quarried, dressed, and carefully laid. Think, too, about the labor involved in the creation of the gate itself, hewn from timber and reinforced with iron. These are not the precious materials of fine art; they are the brute matter of construction. Barberis emphasizes the mass and scale of the tower through his meticulous mark-making, giving a sense of the immense amount of work required to erect such a structure. In Barberis’s hands, though, these practical materials become something more. The print elevates the tower from mere architecture to a symbol of civic pride and engineering prowess. It reminds us that even the most functional objects are shaped by human ingenuity and cultural values.