Chimneypiece in the Egyptian style: Giant figures supporting the lintel, flanked by chairs, from "Diverse Maniere d'adornare i cammini..."
Original title: Chimneypiece in the Egyptian style: Giant figures supporting the lintel, flanked by chairs, from "Diverse Maniere d'adornare i cammini..." (Diverse Ways of ornamenting chimneypieces...)
kurzbeschreibung
This etching by Giovanni Battista Piranesi, made in 1769, presents a chimney piece in the Egyptian style. Two enormous male figures, their headdresses adorned with ears of grain, bear the weight of the lintel. To either side, further figures in Egyptian dress stand within niches. The sheet belongs to the series 'Diverse Maniere d'adornare i cammini...'.
Description
Two large male figures in Egyptian headdresses decorated with ears of grain carry the lintel, their hands resting on the entablature. On the right and left, two more figures in Egyptian clothing sit in niches atop columns. Hieroglyphs and Egyptian motifs reinforce the theme. The print is black and white, monochrome, with even light and no visible shadows, as is typical of etching.
Context
The etching forms part of Piranesi's collection 'Diverse Maniere d'adornare i cammini...', published in 1769 and devoted to chimney-piece designs in the antique manner. The sheet reflects the Egyptomania of the eighteenth century, stirred by archaeological finds and travel accounts from Egypt. Piranesi, famous for his vedute and architectural fantasies, here combined genuine Egyptian elements with his own inventiveness into a decorative pattern book.
Impact
The monumental figures give the chimney piece an archaic, almost overwhelming presence that recalls the grandeur of Egyptian temples. Fine lines and a clear structure create a calm, dignified mood that carries the viewer into the exotic world of ancient Egypt.
Technique
The sheet was executed as an etching, distinguished by fine lines and hatching. Piranesi used the technique to render the details of the figures and hieroglyphs precisely; the even distribution of light without shadows points to careful biting.
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Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)