View of the rear entrance of the Basilica of S. Maria Maggiore, from Veduta di Roma (Roman Views)
Original title: View of the rear entrance of the Basilica of S. Maria Maggiore, from Veduta di Roma (Roman Views)
kurzbeschreibung
An obelisk ringed by onlookers opens the view toward the rear of the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore. Giovanni Battista Piranesi etched this prospect around 1742 for his series Veduta di Roma, and the sheet survives as the first of five states (Hind). Across the steps and the forecourt the eye travels to the church, whose two domes and richly articulated facade close off the space of the image.
Description
At the left front an obelisk stands, a cluster of people gathered along its base. Toward the middle the view climbs to the basilica, two domes rising above the building, its facade busy with columns, pilasters and other architectural members. A stairway leads up to the entrance, figures pause on its treads. On the right trees and shrubs bound the foreground, while light falling from above brings out the built forms.
Context
With the Veduta di Roma Piranesi set out to record Roman architecture systematically and make it available to a European public. That he chose the rear of Santa Maria Maggiore rather than the better-known main facade fits his taste for unusual viewpoints. The etching belongs to his early Roman years; he had lived in the city since about 1740. The presence of the first of five states documents a later reworking of the plate by the artist himself.
Impact
Dense hatching and clear light give the architecture monumental weight. Ordinary life — people at the obelisk, figures on the stairs — stands beside the lofty building and animates the sheet. Piranesi's abundance of detail draws the eye to particulars and shows his assurance in rendering architectural structure.
Technique
For this etching the drawing was worked into a copper plate and bitten with acid, an intaglio process. The crisp lines yield a monochrome image with subtle gradations, characteristic of Piranesi's architectural views. The sheet measures 46 x 76.2 cm, the plate 40.2 x 61.5 cm.
AI-generated description text
Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)