← Giovanni Battista Piranesi

Bird in shell at the center of the lintel, with a frieze of trophies, surmounted by an overmantel with candelabra and flanked by chairs

Original title: Bird in shell at the center of the lintel, with a frieze of trophies, surmounted by an overmantel with candelabra and flanked by chairs. (Ch. décorée d'une frise de casques et d'armures . . .)

Artist

Giovanni Battista Piranesi

Date

1769 (?)

Medium

Etching

Credit line

The Elisha Whittelsey Collection, The Elisha Whittelsey Fund, 1973

kurzbeschreibung

Dated 1769, this etching by Giovanni Battista Piranesi after a design by Charles Cressent presents a chimney piece. A relief showing a bird in a shell forms the focal point, a trophy frieze runs above it, and a mantel top with candelabra frames the arrangement, which is flanked by ornamented armchairs.

Description

The layout is strictly symmetrical. Within the lintel panel a bird sits in a shell; a frieze of trophies stretches above, crowned by a console with a candelabrum. To either side stand armchairs bearing coats of arms and ornaments. Geometric patterns and Greek scrolls surround the whole arrangement. Rendered in black and white, with calculated effects of light and shadow, the relief gains depth.

Context

Part of the 1769 series 'Diverse maniere d'adornare i cammini', this sheet is devoted to fireplace designs. The model came from Charles Cressent, an eighteenth-century French cabinetmaker whose drawings Piranesi took up. The print bears witness to an engagement with ornamental design in the late Baroque, which recurs in Piranesi's archaeological work as well.

Impact

The symmetrical ordering and the richly detailed ornament give the sheet a splendid, ceremonial air. Clear lines and high-contrast shadows lend the motif sculptural depth and underscore the display of Baroque magnificence.

Technique

For this copperplate etching the lines were bitten into the metal plate and then printed on paper. Fine hatching and precise contours allow the high degree of detail typical of Piranesi. The monochrome black-and-white rendering emphasizes the draughtsmanship and the ornamental structure.

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Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)