In large parts of the Trajan column 

Here, we see Giovanni Battista Piranesi's etching, "In Large Parts of the Trajan Column." Its stark contrasts and geometric exactness immediately draw the eye, yet also evoke a feeling of cool detachment. Piranesi presents architectural elements with a structuralist's eye. Each component is isolated, carefully delineated with precise lines and shading, emphasizing form over function. The arrangement invites a semiotic reading, where each fragment—cornices, moldings, doorways—serves as a sign. These signs, meticulously rendered, collectively speak to the grandeur of Roman architecture and its symbolic order. The work challenges fixed meanings by dissecting a monumental whole into its constituent parts. This dissection both deconstructs and celebrates classical forms. It makes us question how we perceive architectural integrity and symbolic power. Piranesi uses the etching's very structure to encourage new ways of thinking about space and representation.