The Roman antiquities, t. 2, Plate LIII. Registration of `Soldiers Praetorian guards. 

This print by Giovanni Battista Piranesi, dating from the 18th century, meticulously documents Roman antiquities—specifically, the tombstones of Praetorian Guards. Piranesi’s chosen medium, etching, is crucial here. He uses the incisive quality of the etched line to evoke the carved inscriptions on the stones themselves. The stark contrast of black ink on paper mirrors the way these inscriptions would have originally stood out against the pale marble. Note the artist's focus on the weathered surfaces of the stones. The process of etching—drawing through a wax ground, immersing the plate in acid, and then printing—has imbued the work with a sense of layered time. It echoes the way that the history of the Roman Empire has been etched into our collective memory. Piranesi invites us to consider the human labor that went into quarrying, shaping, and inscribing these stones, and the social structures of military service and remembrance. Ultimately, this work demonstrates how the close study of materials and making processes can help us understand the social and cultural values embedded in historical artifacts.