Gezicht op het Palazzo Pamphili en het Piazza Navona te Rome 1745 - 1775

Jean-François Daumont's print shows us the Piazza Navona in 18th-century Rome. The print offers an idealised view of the square, dominated by the Palazzo Pamphili and the Fountain of Four Rivers. Made in France, this print belongs to a genre known as 'vues d'optique,' or optical views, which were designed to be viewed through a zograscope, a device that enhanced the illusion of depth. These prints catered to a growing interest in travel and topography among the European middle classes. Note how the architecture is meticulously rendered, yet the figures populating the square are somewhat generic and idealised. This reflects the social function of the print: less as a record of a specific place, and more as a souvenir for the upwardly mobile classes. By purchasing and displaying such prints, the owners asserted their cultural capital and cosmopolitan outlook. Historical research into the print trade, the urban development of Rome, and the social history of tourism can all shed light on the meaning and significance of this seemingly simple image.