Circus van Maxentius te Rome 1575

Editor: Here we have Étienne Dupérac's "Circus van Maxentius te Rome" from 1575, a pen and ink drawing with etching. It's striking how much open space there is within the Circus itself. How do you interpret this work? Curator: This image reveals a great deal about the Renaissance's relationship to its classical past. The Circus of Maxentius was, and remains, a ruin. Dupérac’s depiction highlights this ruin, but more importantly, shows a reintegration of this historical structure into the 16th-century landscape. Look at how animals graze, and people casually traverse the grounds. What do you think that communicates? Editor: That it was part of everyday life? No longer grand spectacle, but integrated into the fabric of the city. Curator: Precisely. The politics of imagery here are interesting. This is not a celebration of Roman imperial power, but a reclaiming of that space for contemporary society. Artists like Dupérac played a key role in shaping how the public understood and engaged with these ancient sites. Was it nostalgia or practicality influencing Dupérac, I wonder? Editor: So it’s not just a historical record, but a statement about how the Renaissance viewed the classical world? Curator: Absolutely. Think about how prints like this circulated; they informed ideas about Rome and its history. Dupérac presents a vision of integration, a blurring of past and present. Editor: I never thought about the politics inherent in depicting a ruin. I assumed the artist was just recording it. Thanks! Curator: There's always more than meets the eye! Considering the social context opens up a whole new dimension to understanding art.