View of the Capitoline Hill with the Steps Leading to the Church of Santa Maria in Aracoeli (Veduta del Romano Campidoglio con scalinata che va alle Chiesa d'Araceli)

The Capitoline Hill was a central location for all citizens of Ancient Rome, as it was the site of many temples and the foundation of the city by Romulus. The Church of Santa Maria in Aracoeli was built in the Middle Ages and grew to be a center of political and religious life in Rome. In Piranesi’s picture, the presence of knights, peasants, and tourists displays the importance of the steps in the 18th century. Built by Michaelangelo in the 16th century, the steps represent another piece of culture and history present on the hill. Through the meticulous etching of the historical buildings and the presence of modern figures Piranesi, once again, connects the past of Rome to the present.

Arthur M. Hind (Author), Giovanni Battista Piranesi: A Critical Study, with a List of His Published Works and Detailed Catalogues of the Prisons and the Views of Rome, Da Capo Press, New York, 1967, ©1922

Henri Focillon (Author), Giovanni-Battista Piranesi: Essai de Catalogue Raisonné de Son Oeuvre, Librairie Renouard, Henri Laurens, Paris, 1918

Piranesi's Rome: Views of the Eternal City, Luther W. Brady Art Gallery, Olivia Kohler-Maga, September 04, 2024 - December 07, 2024