Sint-Pietersbasiliek en Sint-Pietersplein te Vaticaanstad 1710 - 1790

Curator: This print offers us a wide view, a 'Veduta Interia,' of Saint Peter's Basilica and its piazza in the Vatican. Made sometime between 1710 and 1790, the etching and engraving work together to give incredible detail. Editor: It’s so precise! All those tiny figures, the texture of the stone…it almost feels photographic in its clarity, which is astonishing for the time. And that sky, with those faint, wispy lines...I imagine Rome always feels monumental, a feeling this really captures. Curator: Indeed. Polanzani gives us more than just architecture; there's a sense of the labor and craftsmanship embedded in the construction of such a massive site, from quarrying the stone to positioning each column. I wonder about the folks represented in the print...how many people devoted entire lifetimes to working at St. Peter’s. Editor: It makes you consider the social hierarchy too, right? There's the Church's grandeur contrasted with these ordinary citizens moving about. Like an elaborate stage set carefully positioned around people living out daily events. Do you think that he added people afterwards to give a lively sense? Curator: Likely! The etching and engraving combination allows a clear distinction of these fine details, to highlight not only the imposing baroque architecture, but also all the surrounding human presence, their stories etched within this landscape. The Baroque loves a touch of drama! Editor: It makes me think about scale. How does such massive architecture shape human experience, both individually and collectively? All that marble…where was it quarried? Transported? What was the economic impact of acquiring, crafting and installing those materials? You know, who owned the means of construction in building such spiritual spaces? Curator: A point well taken, particularly regarding a spiritual, iconic space! This isn't merely an image of stone; it's a depiction of power, faith, commerce. These were interesting ways for exploring Italian-Renaissance concepts on prints...a view indeed! Editor: Right, thinking through the act of devotional making, the art production, lets me really reconsider not just what I'm seeing, but how something is seen. Thanks for showing me that!