Werklieden plaatsen palen in een rivier Possibly 1677 - 1696

Giovanni Battista Falda created this print, Werklieden plaatsen palen in een rivier, around 1677, offering us a glimpse into the labor practices of 17th-century Rome. Falda, working in a city undergoing vast transformation, captured the infrastructural developments reshaping its urban landscape. Here, we witness laborers in action, a scene imbued with the era's stark social stratification. These men, their identities largely erased, are instrumental in erecting palisades in the river, likely to redirect the flow. Their physical exertion contrasts sharply with the vision of the city's elite, whose power facilitated such projects. As we observe their labor, consider the intersections of class and power at play. These workers' actions are foundational to Rome's grandeur, yet they remain on the margins of its historical narrative. Falda's print invites us to contemplate not just the architectural achievements of the time, but also the human element, and the social dynamics that underpinned them.