Palazzo Altieri te Rome 1699

This etching of the Palazzo Altieri in Rome was made by Alessandro Specchi, an Italian architect and printmaker, in the late 17th or early 18th century. The Palazzo Altieri embodies the aspirations and social order of Baroque Rome. Its imposing facade, overlooking the Piazza del Gesù, asserts the power and prestige of the Altieri family within the city's aristocratic elite. The image itself is more than just a depiction of architecture. It creates meaning through its emphasis on scale, order, and the controlled arrangement of space. Specchi’s detailed rendering of the palazzo, along with the figures populating the piazza, speaks to the theatricality of Baroque culture and the importance of public display. To understand this artwork fully, one must delve into the social and political context of Rome at the time, researching the Altieri family, the architectural history of the city, and the role of art in shaping social identities. The study of art and history can then illuminate each other.