Gezicht te Rome met de zuil van Trajanus en de S. Maria di Loreto 1664

Lievin Cruyl created this drawing, “View of Rome with the Trajan Column and the S. Maria di Loreto,” using pen and brush in brown and gray ink. Cruyl, living in the 17th century, situated himself within a time of religious, political and artistic transformation in Rome. At the center of the scene is the Trajan Column, erected in antiquity to commemorate the Roman emperor's military victories. Cruyl's choice to depict this column alongside the church of Santa Maria di Loreto subtly speaks to the complex relationship between pagan history and Christian present. This juxtaposition can be seen as a commentary on the Catholic Church's strategy of "incorporation," in which ancient sites and traditions were Christianized to consolidate power. Look at the ordinary figures populating the scene. How do their presence and daily activities – in contrast to the grandeur of the Trajan Column and the church – invite us to consider the intersection of everyday life with the monumental narratives of history and religion? The drawing asks us to think about the layers of history embedded in the urban landscape, and how these layers shape the identities and experiences of the people who live within them.