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Collections

Giovanni Battista Piranesi
Prima Parte di Architetture e Prospettivecirca 1743

Not on view
Etching of classical ruins with a decorative urn, broken columns, overgrown trees, and a large inscribed stone tablet bearing a dedication in Italian
Engraving of a grand interior architectural capriccio with sweeping barrel-vaulted arches, ornate coffered ceilings, and a broad staircase flanked by equestrian statues on pedestals; small figures in 18th-century dress populate the foreground; Italian inscription below.
Etching of a vast, cavernous interior with massive stone arches receding into deep shadow. A tall central mast with ropes and a hanging lantern dominates the space, flanked by staircases, balconies, and iron rings. Small figures appear at lower left and right. Dense cross-hatching creates dramatic contrasts of light and shadow. Italic inscription in Latin script at bottom.
Etching of an ancient Roman mausoleum complex, featuring a large cylindrical domed structure flanked by colonnaded facades, ornamental funerary urns on stepped platforms, and two tall pinecone-decorated obelisks in the foreground; fine crosshatching with Italian text caption at bottom.
Engraving of a grand classical temple interior with deep perspective, featuring Corinthian columns, coffered arches receding toward a domed apse, sculptural niches, and small figures in the foreground; italic caption text in Italian along the lower margin
Engraving of an elaborate architectural fantasy with a monumental fountain at center, featuring reclining figures and cascading water on rocky steps, flanked by tall fluted columns and arched vaults; small figures in period dress populate the foreground; italic inscription in Italian below.
Etching of ancient Roman ruins with a large decorative urn atop crumbling stone steps, two small figures among collapsed architectural fragments, overgrown vegetation, and an italic inscription in Italian along the bottom edge.
Engraving of an imaginary Roman bridge and palace complex viewed through a massive foreground arch, with colonnaded facades receding along a waterway, small boats on the water, and an obelisk in the misty distance; Italian caption text below.
Etching of a grand Roman bridge viewed through a massive foreground arch, revealing a colonnaded structure with arched piers receding along a river, small boats on the water below, an obelisk in the distance, and an italic caption in Italian script along the lower margin.
Engraving of an imagined Roman plaza with a domed temple at left, a tall obelisk at center surrounded by sculpted figures and ornamental columns, a triumphal arch at right, and a colonnaded building in the background; fine cross-hatching throughout; italic text caption in Italian along the lower margin.
Engraving of a grand interior architectural capriccio with rows of tall columns supporting vaulted arches receding into deep perspective; small figures on steps in the foreground; Italian text in cursive below the image.
Engraving of an ancient Roman forum complex, viewed in perspective, with colonnaded porticoes, a multi-story ornamental facade, obelisks, fountains, and equestrian statues; small figures populate the foreground plaza; Italian inscription below.
Engraving of a grand Baroque palace courtyard in perspective, flanked by colonnaded wings with statuary and balustrades; small figures in the foreground; a domed structure visible in the distance through a central colonnade; italic inscription in Italian along the bottom margin.
Engraving of an elaborate Baroque architectural interior with a coffered dome, curved colonnaded rotunda, and grand staircase with balustrades; small robed figures gather at the base of the steps, with smoking braziers and statuary throughout.
Artist or Maker
Giovanni Battista Piranesi
Italy, Mogliano, 1720-1778
Title
Prima Parte di Architetture e Prospettive
Place Made
Italy
Date Made
circa 1743
Medium
Etching with engraving and drypoint
Dimensions
18 3/8 × 14 1/4 × 3/4 in. (46.67 × 36.2 × 1.91 cm) Sheet (each): 18 × 18 in. (45.72 × 45.72 cm) Image (each): 14 1/4 × 14 in. (36.2 × 35.56 cm)
Credit Line
Purchased with funds provided by Patricia and Michael Forman
Accession Number
AC1995.54.1.1-.14
Classification
Prints
Collecting Area
Prints and Drawings