Gezicht op Rome vanaf de Tiber 1755 - 1779

This is a print titled ‘View of Rome from the Tiber’ made by the Kaiserlich Franziskische Akademie. Looking at this vista of Rome, what narratives are submerged beneath the surface of its beauty? The fishermen in the foreground, for example, they remind us of the laboring classes and the economic disparities that have often been glossed over in idealized depictions of urban life. Who were the intended viewers of this artwork? Likely, they were members of the elite classes, who would have viewed such scenes through a lens of privilege. This image, with its blend of serene cityscape and working-class figures, invites us to consider the complex relationship between power, representation, and lived experience, and the stories that remain untold.