Gezicht op het Sint-Pieterplein en de Sint-Pieterbasiliek in Vaticaanstad before 1898

This anonymous work offers us a glimpse of the Sint-Pieterplein en de Sint-Pieterbasiliek in Vaticaanstad. Executed through the medium of print, the image employs a restricted palette, focusing on tonal variations to define its subject. Note how the composition is structured to create a hierarchy of forms, with the basilica dominating the skyline, drawing our eyes upwards. The perspective, although somewhat flattened by the nature of the print, still manages to convey the immense scale of the square and the basilica. Structurally, the use of horizontal and vertical lines creates a sense of stability and order. However, this order is playfully destabilized by the dome of the basilica, which rises above the architectural grid below. The print thus plays with our perception of space and scale, challenging our understanding of architectural grandeur through the simplicity of its form. This manipulation of form serves not merely as an aesthetic choice but as a commentary on representation.