Gezicht op de Tiber en de Castel Sant' Angelo 1510

This is Antoni van den Wijngaerde’s panoramic view of Rome, rendered in pen and brown ink. Van den Wijngaerde was a topographical artist, meticulously documenting cities during a time of great change and expansion. His works reflect not only the physical layout of these urban environments, but also the social dynamics embedded within them. Here we see Rome, with the Castel Sant'Angelo, once Hadrian's tomb, looming large. But what else do we see? How are people moving through the space? Are there signs of wealth or poverty, power or subjection? Consider the layers of history present—the ancient, the medieval, the early modern—all coexisting and shaping the experience of the city. It’s easy to get lost in its architectural details. Let’s think about how van den Wijngaerde’s meticulous rendering invites us to consider our own place in the urban landscape, and how we, too, are both products and shapers of our environment.