Reigles generales de l'architecture, sur les cincq manieres d'edifices 1545

Sebastiano Serlio created this title page for “Reigles generales de l'architecture” in 1545 using woodcut. Serlio lived through the High Renaissance, a period of immense social change marked by colonial expansion, religious reformation, and burgeoning capitalism. As a treatise on architecture, this title page reflects the social and cultural values of its time, particularly concerning class and power. Architectural styles were often associated with specific social classes, with classical designs like those detailed in the book being linked to elite structures. Note the coat of arms at the top, indicating patronage and a link to nobility, which suggests that architecture was not merely about building, but about visually communicating hierarchies. The very act of documenting and codifying architectural rules privileges certain forms and knowledge while marginalizing others. I invite you to think about the power dynamics inherent in such standardization, and to feel the weight of history and privilege embedded within the visual culture of architecture.