The Capitol and the steps of S. Maria in Aracoeli
Original title: The Capitol and the steps of S. Maria in Aracoeli (Veduta del Romano Camipidoglio con scalinata che va alla chiesa d'Araceli)
kurzbeschreibung
Around 1775 Giovanni Battista Piranesi recorded the Capitoline Hill as a veduta, with the broad flight of steps up to the church of Santa Maria in Aracoeli drawing the eye. Unlike many of his pure ruin views, this sheet brings ancient and baroque architecture together into one dense urban image.
Description
A wide staircase dominates the foreground and climbs toward the Capitoline. People and horses move across the steps, while more figures stand by a wall. A large building crowned by a statue shapes the distance, and a church with a tower appears at the right. Diffuse light settles over the scene, giving it a quiet mood. The rendering stays within greys and whites, as an etching does.
Context
In his late years Piranesi turned increasingly to Roman architecture and its pictorial translation. The Capitoline, the political and historical heart of Rome, was an obvious subject. The church of Santa Maria in Aracoeli and the staircase built in 1348 were among the landmarks he recorded with his customary precision.
Impact
The print radiates a calm, almost timeless mood and carries the viewer into historic Rome. The contrast between monumental architecture and lively detail sets up a tension between stillness and movement.
Technique
For this etching the lines were incised into a metal plate and bitten with acid. Piranesi worked with fine and forceful strokes to capture architectural detail and shadow precisely. The greys and whites emerge when black ink is printed onto paper.
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Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)