San Carlo alle Quattro Fontane te Rome 1669 - 1670

Giovanni Battista Falda made this print of San Carlo alle Quattro Fontane in Rome sometime in the late 17th century. Consider the role of printmaking in shaping public perception of architecture at this time. Prints like this one allowed architectural ideas to circulate widely. This was particularly important for Baroque architecture, which sought to impress viewers with dramatic and theatrical designs, as it was considered to be propaganda for the Catholic Church. Falda's print celebrates the architectural innovation of Francesco Borromini. The building's undulating facade and complex geometry were radical departures from classical norms. But the print also shows the church in its urban context, as the building becomes a stage for social life, with carriages and figures populating the foreground. To understand the impact of this image, we might consider the rise of the architectural treatise and the role of academies in shaping architectural taste. Prints like this helped to disseminate new ideas, but they also invited debate about the role of architecture in shaping civic identity.