Gekko before 1650

Antonio Tempesta made this print, Gekko, using etching and engraving techniques sometime between 1572 and 1630. The image depicts two lizards crawling through the ruins of what appears to be Rome. In the background we see Roman architecture, and to the left, a spider lurks in its web. Consider that this image was made during the late Renaissance, a time when Europeans were rediscovering and reinterpreting classical antiquity. Note also that Tempesta was working in Rome. One reading of this image is that it reflects a renewed interest in scientific observation. But it might also comment on the transience of human achievement, as even the greatest civilizations crumble into ruin. As historians, we investigate such works by researching the artist's life and the cultural context in which they worked. By exploring the visual codes and historical associations, we gain insight into the social and institutional forces shaping artistic production. Art, then, is never made in a vacuum, but is always contingent on social and institutional context.