Chiesa di S. Maria Liberatrice, Plate 54 from Raccolta Delle Più Belle Veduta Antiche, E Moderne Di Roma... 1786

Giuseppe Vasi created this print of the Chiesa di S. Maria Liberatrice in Rome as part of his series, Raccolta Delle Più Belle Veduta Antiche, E Moderne Di Roma. The composition is carefully structured, leading the eye from the foreground figures and livestock toward the church, which serves as the focal point. The church's classical facade, framed by tall, slender trees, presents a study in geometric forms. Note the contrast with the adjacent, crumbling ruins and the imposing yet damaged columns. The strategic placement of these ruins not only creates depth but also invokes a sense of historical layering. Vasi’s technique employs a semiotic system of light and shadow to emphasize the dichotomy between the sacred and the secular, the preserved and the decayed. The sky, rendered with delicate hatching, adds a sense of atmospheric depth. This interplay suggests a meditation on time, memory, and the cyclical nature of civilization itself. This print is not just a depiction of a place, but an exploration of Rome's complex identity.