Ruïnes van het colosseum in Rome 1708

This etching of the Colosseum's ruins in Rome was made by Bonaventura van Overbeek, sometime around the turn of the 18th century. The image is achieved through a labor-intensive process. The artist would have used a sharp tool to cut lines into a metal plate, which was then inked and printed, leaving behind this image. The texture of the Colosseum is meticulously rendered, stone by stone, hinting at the immense human effort required for its original construction. Think of the quarrying, transporting, and placement of each block, not to mention the further labour to carve each one precisely. The building is presented as a picturesque ruin, softened by vegetation and time, but it still conveys the power of the Roman Empire, built through conquest and, of course, enslaved labor. Looking at this print, we can appreciate not only the artist's skill, but also the social and economic forces that shaped both the Colosseum itself, and this image of its ruin. It serves as a reminder that every work of art, no matter how seemingly removed from daily life, is deeply embedded in the world of making and labor.