Della Trasportatione dell'Obelisco Vaticano et delle Fabriche di Nostro Signore Papa Sisto V fatte dal Cavallier Domenico Fontana Architetto di sua Santita Libro Primo 1590

This engraving, made by Domenico Fontana, depicts the transportation of the Vatican Obelisk. It reveals not only the finished artifact, but also the material and process of its relocation. Fontana, an accomplished architect, meticulously captures the immense wooden scaffolding erected to hoist and move the ancient obelisk. Look closely, and you'll see the complex network of ropes, pulleys, and levers—the very sinews of 16th-century engineering. The print is rich in its depiction of labor: teams of men and horses strain under the load, highlighting the sheer human effort required for such a monumental undertaking. The visual language speaks volumes about the era's values. It elevates not only the result—the towering obelisk—but also the ingenuity and exertion that brought it to its new site. By foregrounding labor and the built environment, Fontana invites us to consider the social and material foundations upon which even the most impressive achievements rest.