It has been a year since Brian Curran passed. Though he was facing ALS, he expressed his love for art history and his passionate views on politics fervently in his last years. This is not to mention his endless fascination with tourist kitsch, monster movies, and glam rock. And Rome.
I was only able to visit Rome this summer, but my appreciation for the city and its artwork felt like an ode to him as well as the place itself. One of his great contributions to art history was his scholarship on the Egyptian obsession in renaissance Rome. Part of this phenomenon is seen in the form of obelisks. They were placed in open piazzas during the Egypt craze, creating monumental markers that have been jutting into the sky from their sites since the 1500s.
The best-known obelisk is probably the one that sits directly in front of St. Peter’s Basilica. This was set in its spot in 1586, well before it became the center of Bernini’s redesigned square and enveloped by a set of colonnade wings. The granite megalith hails from Heliopolis, but was moved first to Alexandria, then to Rome. The architect Domenico Fontana placed the obelisk at this site, later dedicating an entire book to how it was moved and erected.
An even taller obelisk stands next to the Lateran Basilica. Though originally from Karnak, this obelisk also came to Rome via Alexandria. Its base was created in 1588. It moved here from the Circus Maximus and displaced the statue of Marcus Aurelius, which was moved to the Piazza del Campidoglio.
Also on the Caelian Hill is a more unassuming monument–for as much as an obelisk can be unassuming. The Obelisco Matteiano is actually a pastiche of several obelisks, though the more reddish portion above can be linked to Heliopolis.
The last obelisk I was able to see is the Obelisk of Domition–the centerpiece of the Piazza Navona. It’s pedestal is the Fountain of the Four Rivers, a baroque action scene by Bernini.
So this is just to say that I’m thinking of you, Brian, and your enthusiasm for Rome has infected your students–even those who were convinced that they should study the Northern Renaissance.
If any readers want to learn more about obelisks and Egyptmania in renaissance Rome, you can find Brian’s books here (click on them for the link):
The Egyptian Renaissance: The Afterlife of Ancient Egypt in Early Modern Italy
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