"Diocletian's Retreat" is a woodcut and monotype signed by Carol Summers. The image combines landscape and architecture, in this case a classical structure from the retirement villa of the Roman emperor Diocletian (CE 245-316), which is typical of the works Summers produced during the 1990s. Diocletian is best known for stabilizing the Roman Empire during the 3rd century CE by dividing it into eastern and western halves and by establishing the 'tetrarchy,' or "Rule of Four." He retired in 305 CE at age 60, moving to his 10-acre palace on the coast of Dalmatia (present day Croatia). This interest in classical subject matter is common of modern artists: both Picasso and Giorgio de Chirico looked to classical themes throughout their careers, abstracting Greek and Roman architecture and narratives to characterize the instability of modernity. Summers certainly does the same here by warping and tilting what should be a stable stone structure. The drama of Summer's representation of the villa is enhanced by his signature printmaking technique, which allows the ink from the woodblock to seep through the paper, blurring the edges of each form.

Frame: 25.75 x 25.27