Landschap met ruïnes 1738 - 1767

Fabio Berardi created this landscape with ruins print in the 1700s. It depicts an overgrown Roman ruin, complete with an archway, a statue, and several figures milling about. Pictures like these were very popular with tourists at the time, who saw the ruins as evidence of a glorious past. The Catholic church and other institutions emphasized Rome's ancient past to augment their contemporary power. The presence of everyday people among the ruins adds a certain social and cultural dynamic to the scene. It reminds us that the past is not just something to be admired from afar but is also something that we live with and through. Further study into the print's commission history could reveal much about the cultural meanings and context it represents.