Rotunda in Gothic Style 

Gasparo Galliari made this pen and wash drawing of a ‘Rotunda in Gothic Style,’ likely in Italy, sometime around the turn of the 19th century. The image presents a vision of idealized space, self-consciously referencing the past. Here, we see how the Gothic style was becoming a source of inspiration, rather than being dismissed as barbaric, as it had been in previous eras. We might consider this drawing in the context of the broader revival of Gothic architecture. This was a movement that carried strong political and cultural associations. In the German-speaking countries and beyond, the Gothic was seen as a truly ‘native’ style, and this helped give visual form to emerging ideas of nationhood. To understand the significance of works like this, we need to look at the history of taste, and the social and political functions of art. We can turn to sources such as architectural treatises, exhibition reviews, and the writings of social thinkers. These resources help us understand the changing meaning of art across time.