Delle Magnificenze di Roma Antica e Moderna (vol. 3) Possibly 1747 - 1761

Curator: Right now we are looking at an etching by Giuseppe Vasi, likely from between 1747 and 1761. It's the title page of volume 3 of "Delle Magnificenze di Roma Antica e Moderna". It's a wonderful example of printmaking. What's your initial reaction to this piece? Editor: My first thought is the page has a lovely sense of dignified age. The creamy paper colour really does whisper "history" but there's also a charming sort of visual tension—that heavy baroque text practically thunders at you while underneath, the little landscape scene seems almost shy. Curator: That's a perfect observation. The piece, while serving as a title page, uses both textual and visual elements to convey a sense of grandeur. Vasi, in the style of Piranesi, wanted to document the splendor of Rome both old and new, for the contemporary reader. It really highlights Rome's place as a living monument to its ancient past. Editor: Exactly, and that interplay, the sheer weight of textual authority bearing down on this almost whimsical scene... it suggests something about how Rome itself functioned—the imposing institutions nestled amongst pockets of daily life, ritual and architecture interwoven. The dedication to Carlo Vittorio Amedeo—archbishop, cardinal, you know this adds more to the iconographical layering, he's being presented, metaphorically, with Rome herself. Curator: Absolutely. That interplay of the secular and the divine powers makes Rome tick, and what I see in Vasi's composition, which feels quite theatrical to me, shows us just that. There's definitely a performance element—a presentation of power, both earthly and spiritual. Editor: And the miniature landscape below hints at both the antiquity and the human scale – ordinary figures meandering amidst the grandeur. I love that even in this declaration of Roman "magnificence", Vasi anchors us back to earth. It's a good lesson in the power of cultural memory and the echoes of symbols through time. Thank you for illuminating all the wonders in Vasi's artwork. Curator: My pleasure; it’s such a lovely reminder that even title pages can be tapestries of meaning, once you tease them apart. And now I am really looking forward to the real monuments showcased in the volumes beyond this etching we looked at.