Speculum Romanae Magnificentiae: Cornice 1530 - 1580

This print, "Speculum Romanae Magnificentiae: Cornice," captures a fragment of ancient Roman architecture, its creation lost to time. Here, the cornice, with its layered structure, speaks of order and permanence, qualities the Romans sought to project through their monumental buildings. Notice the egg-and-dart motif carved into the molding. This seemingly simple design carries echoes of ancient Greece, symbolizing life and death. The motif's presence here marks its migration through time, a testament to the enduring influence of classical ideals. Consider how the weight of history presses upon this form, each layer a stratum of cultural memory. The cornice, thus, is not merely a structural element, but a vessel carrying forward collective memory and subconscious processes. This fragment has resurfaced, evolved, and taken on new meanings in different historical contexts.