Façade van het Lateraans Paleis after 1655

Curator: This delicate engraving presents the Façade van het Lateraans Paleis, dating from after 1655. The artist is Giovanni Battista Falda. Editor: My initial impression is one of almost mathematical precision. It feels very measured, restrained. It's striking how the light is uniform, flattening any sense of depth, as if holding back from expressing a more profound reality. Curator: Indeed. As a print, it functions almost as a blueprint— a kind of promotional document of architectural accomplishment. Notice the repetitive nature of the windows, a feature of Baroque architectural drawing. Editor: That repetition does create a rhythm, but it's a very deliberate one, speaking of authority and order. Look at the building itself: a statement in stone, carefully replicated and disseminated. But what about the inscription at the base, the "Felice Memoria"? Does that provide some clue? Curator: "Eretto di fondamenti dalla felice memoria di Papa Sisto V". Erected from the foundations in happy memory of Pope Sixtus the Fifth. This work honors the legacy of Pope Sixtus, whose ambitious building projects dramatically reshaped Rome. Editor: Ah, Sixtus. So this isn't just a pretty picture; it’s a monument to power, literally built on the memory of a specific figure. The facade becomes a symbol of papal authority. It reflects the kind of confidence the church would like to project. I note Falda meticulously captures the geometry. There's so little that's accidental in rendering this power structure visible. Curator: That’s an excellent observation. This print serves as both documentation and, dare I say, a carefully constructed piece of propaganda. And you know what that makes me wonder... What's omitted from this 'perfect' vision? Editor: Always a good question! Maybe we should see that kind of "perfection" with more critical and weary eyes. Curator: Well said. Editor: A glimpse into what once was— and a good reminder about how we want to remember.