He even puts text upside down so that in the view of the Pantheon and others you are encouraged to see it from both the air and from the ground-view. The dirigible then goes about on its journey and the people viewing the pictures can follow along on the artistic aerial tour of Rome. Yet it remained a part of the pictures without ruining the art side of them by looking like a ruler stuck in the page.

Once he had the proportions down he was able to use it as a scale for the rest of the sketches. As he continued his sketches he kept being drawn to the idea of the dirigible, and after going to Alberto Santos-Dumont he found the dirigible to use as a model. Like snapshots when you are speeding down the road of fascinating places whereas you would stop and study them if you were walking down the road. He began with the intention of showing different aspects of Rome from the viewpoint of a dirigible. It occurred to him to draw different vehicles at different speeds traveling through Rome to show the variations in size of one building to another or help give a different view of the building. Then he got a new idea that was genuinely his own while sketching. He tried packaging box sets of four books to be guides to people’s introduction to Rome. It was so difficult to find the right way to show his view of Rome so others could understand his admiration for it. He wanted to portray Rome in all its glory in a genuine way that others could appreciate, and was becoming desperate. But again, this didn’t quite satisfy him. He thought of showing the places he loved as he kicked a soccer ball about and followed where it fell. Then he realized that this wasn’t quite working as he’d have liked.

The maps began as sketches of his favorite streets and haunts with words leaving trails across the map. He shows his attempts at putting together a way to show his art and how without a real goal, he didn’t really get anywhere. He’s been in search of the ideal way to share his adoration and perspective of Rome.

Each to express different key points to the observers. His drawings vary from each other in both mediums and style. He uses his outstanding art to express to people the beauty of the city and make them understand why it is so important to him. In his last year of college studying to be an architect he was granted the chance to study in Rome and he couldn’t help but become attached to the city. Original TED page w/ speaker bio, links, comments, etc:ĭavid Macaulay: All Roads Lead to Rome Anticsĭavid Macaulay gives an eye-opening talk about his favorite place, Rome.

Rome Antics by David Macaulay