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Collections

Giovanni Battista Piranesi
Le Carceri d'invenzione1761

Not on view
Etching of a vast, shadowy vaulted interior with stone staircases, timber scaffolding, and heavy hanging chains, with a Latin inscription on a lit stone wall
Etching of a vast cavernous interior with massive stone arches, chains, pulleys, and scattered sculptural fragments including a large carved head. Small figures populate stairs and ledges; classical ruins and busts visible in background, rendered with dense cross-hatched linework.
Etching of a vast imaginary interior prison with towering masonry arches, spiral staircases, and walkways receding into dark depths; small human figures visible on stairs and bridges; dense cross-hatched linework in black and gray.
Etching of a vast imaginary prison interior with massive stone arches, timber scaffolding, chains, and ropes in the foreground; a lit gallery with relief friezes and small figures recedes into the background, rendered with dense cross-hatching in dark tones.
Etching of a vast imaginary prison interior with towering stone arches, wooden beams, chains, and pulleys receding into darkness. Two large sculpted lions occupy the foreground, while small figures move through the middle ground amid staircases and platforms. Dense cross-hatching creates deep shadow and dramatic contrast.
Etching of a vast imaginary interior prison with towering vaulted arches, intersecting beams, ropes, and staircases receding into deep shadow, with small human figures at ground level and a smoke or fire source at center, rendered in dense crosshatched lines.
Etching of a vast imaginary prison interior with towering vaulted arches, crisscrossing beams, and bridges receding into darkness; small figures on staircases and platforms below, rendered in dense crosshatched lines.
Etching of a vast imaginary prison interior with massive stone piers, crossed beams, ropes, and chains filling the upper space; small human figures occupy the shadowed lower passages, rendered in dense cross-hatching with dramatic contrast between dark architectural forms and a luminous central void.
Etching of a vast imaginary interior prison with soaring arched vaults, timber scaffolding, chains, and staircases receding into darkness; small figures are visible on platforms and a ledge at left, rendered in dense cross-hatched lines creating dramatic chiaroscuro.
Etching of a vast imaginary interior prison with massive stone arches, intersecting staircases, and suspended ropes and chains; small human figures populate multiple levels, rendered in dense cross-hatched lines with deep shadows.
Etching of a vast vaulted interior with massive stone arches, chains hanging from above, and staircases receding into shadow; two small figures near the center foreground, another seated at right, rendered with dense cross-hatching in dark tones.
Etching of a vast imaginary prison interior with dramatic cross-hatching; massive timber beams, stone arches, chains, and pulleys recede into shadowy depths; small figures on stairs and platforms emphasize the monumental scale.
Etching of a vast imaginary interior space with massive vaulted arches, intersecting staircases, timber beams, and chains. Dense cross-hatched linework creates deep shadows. Small human figures are visible on the stairs and walkways below.
Etching of a vast imaginary prison interior with soaring vaulted arches, staircases, and walkways receding into darkness. In the foreground, a massive stone block bears carved grotesque masks with ring attachments; small figures appear in the shadowy lower left. Dense cross-hatching creates deep contrasts of light and shadow.
Etching of a vast imaginary prison interior with towering masonry arches, staircases, and timber beams. Heavy chains hang from the upper left, while small human figures occupy the shadowy lower levels. Dense cross-hatching creates dramatic contrasts of light and dark throughout the cavernous space.

Giovanni Battista Piranesi, Title Page, 1761, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, William Randolph Hearst Collection, photo © Museum Associates/LACMA

Artist or Maker
Giovanni Battista Piranesi
Title
Le Carceri d'invenzione
Place Made
Italy
Date Made
1761
Medium
Etching
Dimensions
see individual records for dimensions
Credit Line
William Randolph Hearst Collection
Accession Number
46.27.1-.16
Classification
Prints
Collecting Area
Prints and Drawings