← Giovanni Battista Piranesi Giovanni Battista Piranesi — The Forum Romanum, or Campo Vaccino, from the Capitol, with the Arch of Septimius in the foreground left, Temple of Vespian right, and the Colosseum in the distance (Veduta di Campo Vaccino)

Giovanni Battista Piranesi — The Forum Romanum, or Campo Vaccino, from the Capitol, with the Arch of Septimius in the foreground left, Temple of Vespian right, and the Colosseum in the distance (Veduta di Campo Vaccino)

The Forum Romanum, or Campo Vaccino, from the Capitol, with the Arch of Septimius in the foreground left, Temple of Vespian right, and the Colosseum in the distance (Veduta di Campo Vaccino)

Original title: The Forum Romanum, or Campo Vaccino, from the Capitol, with the Arch of Septimius in the foreground left, Temple of Vespian right, and the Colosseum in the distance (Veduta di Campo Vaccino)

Artist: Giovanni Battista Piranesi
Date: ca. 1775
Medium: Etching
Credit line: Gift of Edward W. Root, Elihu Root Jr. and Mrs. Ulysses S. Grant III, 1937

kurzbeschreibung

Around 1775, Giovanni Battista Piranesi etched a view of the Roman Forum seen from the Capitoline Hill. The ancient ruins appear with the Arch of Septimius Severus, the Temple of Vespasian and, far off, the Colosseum. The sheet belongs to his series of Roman views.

Description

The eye travels from the Capitoline across the Campo Vaccino all the way to the Colosseum, and the layout stretches wide to hold it. The Arch of Septimius Severus stands at the front left, the Temple of Vespasian beside it to the right; between and behind them, ruins and houses crowd together, some of them plainly crumbling. Black and white governs the whole, and the light stays soft and even, as is usual in an etching.

Context

At the time it was made, the Roman Forum went by the name Campo Vaccino and really did serve as pasture. Piranesi's view fits the interest of the day in the remains of antiquity and in Roman history. The artist was known for publishing Roman architecture across several series, rich in detail and with a dramatic pull.

Impact

The sheet conveys a lofty yet wistful mood: the former grandeur of Rome, now given over to decay. The exact rendering of every detail and the wide prospect invite the viewer to walk the site, as it were, and to reflect on its history.

Technique

Piranesi worked in etching, an intaglio process in which the drawing is scratched into a metal plate and then bitten with acid. His lines come out fine and precise, which is characteristic of his style. The monochrome treatment and the diffuse light give the image its particular atmosphere.

AI-generated description text

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