Opstand van het trappenhuis en de loggia van de Villa Giustiniani-Cambiaso te Genua 1622

Nicolaes Ryckmans created this print of the staircase and loggia of the Villa Giustiniani-Cambiaso in Genoa. Although undated, its careful architectural detail suggests a 17th-century origin, when precise renderings of buildings were prized. Ryckmans’ print offers us a glimpse into the cultural values of the Genoese elite. The villa, owned by prominent families, would have been a stage for social display, and the print serves as a kind of advertisement of their refined taste. Staircases and loggias were more than functional spaces; they were designed to impress. They symbolize power and status. This print, in turn, documents that architecture and makes it available for study and emulation. To fully appreciate this print, consider the social conditions that made such villas possible, the networks of patronage that sustained artists like Ryckmans, and the economic structures that defined Genoa at this time. These elements can help us understand the public role of art.