← Giovanni Battista Piranesi Giovanni Battista Piranesi — Frontispiece to "Roman Antiquities outside Rome drawn and etched by Giambat'ta Piranesi, Venetian Architect Part Two" (ANTICHITÀ ROMANE FUORI DI ROMA DISEGNATE ED INCISE DA GIAMBAT'TA PIRANESI, ARCHITETTO VENEZIANO, PARTE SECONDA)

Giovanni Battista Piranesi — Frontispiece to "Roman Antiquities outside Rome drawn and etched by Giambat'ta Piranesi, Venetian Architect Part Two" (ANTICHITÀ ROMANE FUORI DI ROMA DISEGNATE ED INCISE DA GIAMBAT'TA PIRANESI, ARCHITETTO VENEZIANO, PARTE SECONDA)

Frontispiece to "Roman Antiquities outside Rome drawn and etched by Giambat'ta Piranesi, Venetian Architect Part Two" (ANTICHITÀ ROMANE FUORI DI ROMA DISEGNATE ED INCISE DA GIAMBAT'TA PIRANESI, ARCHITETTO VENEZIANO, PARTE SECONDA)

Original title: Frontispiece to "Roman Antiquities outside Rome drawn and etched by Giambat'ta Piranesi, Venetian Architect Part Two" (ANTCHITÀ ROMANE FUORI DI ROMA DISEGNATE ED INCISE DA GIAMBAT'TA PIRANESI, ARCHITETTO VENEZIANO, PARTE SECONDA)

Artist: Giovanni Battista Piranesi
Date: ca. 1748
Medium: Etching
Dimensions: Plate: 5 1/16 × 10 3/8 in. (12.9 × 26.4 cm) Sheet: 12 3/4 × 18 11/16 in. (32.4 × 47.4 cm)
Credit line: Harris Brisbane Dick Fund, 1937

kurzbeschreibung

A monumental ornamental relief carrying the book's title, set within a landscape of trees and a cloudy sky, forms the frontispiece to Piranesi's two-volume work on Roman antiquities outside Rome. The etching, made around 1748, combines architectural precision with dramatic light and shadow.

Description

A large rectangular relief, overlaid by a flowing, cloud-like structure, dominates the sheet. An ornate frame of ornaments and shields encloses the relief, and at its center stands the Latin title of the work. Behind it opens a landscape with trees under a sky modeled by fine hatching. Monochrome throughout, the layout emphasizes the precise linework of the architectural elements.

Context

This frontispiece belongs to Piranesi's publication 'Antichità Romane fuori di Roma', dedicated to Roman ruins outside the city. Created during a period of intense engagement with documenting ancient architecture, spurred by studies in and around Rome, the etching served as the title page. It was intended to highlight the significance of ancient buildings for contemporary architecture.

Impact

The combination of monumental framing and delicate landscape creates a solemn, almost theatrical mood. Light and shadow give the frontispiece a dramatic depth that attunes the viewer to the book's content.

Technique

In this etching, lines are incised into a metal plate etched with acid. The varying shades produce a rich contrast of light and dark typical of Piranesi. The plate measures 12.9 × 26.4 cm, the sheet 32.4 × 47.4 cm.

AI-generated description text

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