The Forum of Nerva in Rome, Seen from the Temple of Minerva 1606

"The Forum of Nerva in Rome, Seen from the Temple of Minerva" is a drawing made by Pieter Lastman, likely in the early 17th century. Lastman, as a Dutch Golden Age painter, found himself part of a culture grappling with its identity in relation to the classical world and its own burgeoning sense of self. Here, the ruins of the Roman Forum aren't just stone and memory, but a stage upon which Lastman and his contemporaries worked out an understanding of their place in history. We see the decay of empire juxtaposed with the everyday; a wagon wheel casually leans against fallen grandeur. Consider the emotional weight of witnessing such decay. What does it mean for a culture to build upon the ruins of another? Lastman isn't just showing us a place, he’s inviting us to reflect on the cyclical nature of power, the transient nature of human achievement and how our present is always shaped by the past.