Rome, former capital of a world empire and later the city of popes, was already a destination for artists and wealthy travellers in the early modern period thanks to its ancient monuments and wealth of Renaissance and Baroque architecture and art. At the same time, a wide range of prints emerged from the 16th century onwards, making the landmarks, squares, districts and surroundings of the Roma aeterna accessible to a broader section of the population.
The exhibition presents 24 engravings from three series dating from the 16th to the 18th century. The oldest is entitled Speculum Romanae magnificentiae (‘Mirror of Roman Splendour’): Various engravers created around 1,000 sheets from which collectors could compile their own ‘travel guide’, including monuments such as the Pantheon, St. Peter’s Basilica, the Capitol and a fanciful reconstruction of the ancient Circus Flaminius. In the 17th century, the Dutch artist Herman van Swanevelt (1603-1655) produced the series Diverses vues dedans et dehors Rome, comprising a dozen views of Rome and its surroundings. The most recent sheets on display come from Diverse viste di Roma antica e moderna (Various Views of Ancient and Modern Rome), which includes engravings by the famous architect and engraver Giovanni Battista Piranesi (1720-1778) and motifs such as Castel Sant’Angelo and the Villa Borghese.
with the support of:
Fondation du Pélican de Mie et Pierre Hippert-Faber
sous l’égide de la Fondation de Luxembourg
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