The Piazza di Spagna (Veduta di Piazza di Spagna) 1745 - 1755

Editor: So, this is "The Piazza di Spagna," an etching by Giovanni Battista Piranesi, dating from about 1745-1755. The detail is incredible! All those tiny figures... it really captures the hustle and bustle. How do you see the materiality contributing to its meaning? Curator: For me, this piece screams process. Piranesi, through the meticulous labor of etching, isn't just depicting the Piazza di Spagna; he’s participating in the spectacle of Rome, the commerce of art-making. Consider the accessibility of prints - how this materially democratic format circulates idealized visions of power. Editor: Democratic, but still presenting an idealized vision? Curator: Exactly. Note the flawless perspective, the theatrical staging of everyday life. The consumption of this image fuels the grand narrative of Rome as a site of both power and beauty, a place of aspiration but also an entity built with materials extracted by countless workers whose realities were vastly different from the consumers of this image. The act of acquiring this print – a material object itself – ties into a larger network of consumption and cultural capital. Does that shift how you see it at all? Editor: I see what you mean. It’s not just a picture; it’s a commodity. I was focusing on the artistry, but you’re highlighting the socio-economic framework of its production and consumption. So the print’s widespread availability is almost a distraction from the less democratic realities outside the frame. Curator: Precisely. And look closer at the different kinds of labor presented in the foreground–are some more privileged or ennobled? This material act, the print itself, carries embedded values. Editor: Wow, that gives me a lot to think about in terms of accessibility and the labor conditions for similar artworks in this time period. Thanks! Curator: It was a pleasure; I’m glad I could help shed some light!