Pantheon

Interior of the Pantheon (Veduta interna del Panteon), from the series “Views of Rome,” c. 1768, etching on laid paper, Sheet/Page 18 13/16 H x 22 1/8 W in. Gift from the Trustees of the Corcoran Gallery of Art (Bequest of Frank B. Bristow), GW Collection (CGA.68.26.831)

By Grace Suter 

With contributions by Krystin Kim

The Pantheon stands as an outstanding architectural marvel of the ancient Roman world, embodying engineering genius, aesthetic harmony, and cultural significance. Rebuilt around 125 CE during Emperor Hadrian’s reign, after suffering severe damage from a fire, the structure includes an unreinforced concrete dome. This was a feat unparalleled at the time. The architectural design demonstrates Roman ingenuity in material science and construction. In Piranesi’s Interior of the Pantheon, the oculus at the dome’s apex floods the interior with natural light, animating the vast space below and creating an almost mystical ambiance that changes with the time of day. The Pantheon’s perfect proportions, combining a circular domed rotunda with a classical portico, harmonize geometric forms and monumental scale in a way that continues to captivate architects, historians, and tourists. Although scholars debate whether the Pantheon was originally a religious temple, the Pantheon was later transformed into a Christian church and has stayed that way until modern times. Modern tourists see the Pantheon function the same way Piranesi and the tourists he sold his prints to did. A symbol of adaptability and timelessness, the enduring structure represents not only Rome’s architectural sophistication but also its lasting influence on architectural ideals across centuries.

Piranesi's Interior of the Pantheon vividly captures the grandeur and spatial dynamics of one of Rome's most iconic ancient buildings. The etching meticulously depicts the Pantheon's coffered dome and oculus (the opening circle at the top of the dome). Piranesi’s inscription along the bottom edge elaborates further upon the building’s history. It notes that while the original columns and lower level remain ancient and unaltered, the second level has been modified. Naturally, as a building from hundreds of years ago, structural concerns arose. Pope Benedict XIV oversaw the replacement of marble and porphyry with a stucco material. While Pope Clement XI reconstructed the main altar, the minor altars and the floor, which were composed of precious materials, remain preserved from antiquity.

Piranesi created another depiction of the Pantheon in his View of the Pantheon of Agrippa piece, and his son Francesco Piranesi continued to portray the Pantheon in etchings such as Interior Section of the Pantheon and Demonstration of the Door of the Pantheon. Each print showcases a different perspective, the architecture behind the design, and the detail within the building. View of the Pantheon of Agrippa presents the front of the Pantheon and its full glory from an eye-level perspective. Giovanni Piranesi's multiple renditions of the Pantheon exemplify his fascination with this iconic monument and its enduring legacy.

The Pantheon’s design exemplifies the Romans’ advanced engineering skills and their innovative use of concrete. Piranesi etches the expansive interior, which one might not expect when viewing the outside of the building. Concrete can be an unassuming material, and from the outside, the portico blocks the majority of the rotunda from view. However, walking through the doors transforms one’s experience with the Pantheon, and Piranesi etched a reminder of the enlightening experience the Pantheon fosters. Architects such as Andrea Palladio and Thomas Jefferson have drawn inspiration from the Pantheon’s harmonious proportions and its awe-inspiring interior space. Palladio incorporated plate moldings essentially identical to the Pantheon in his infamous rendering of Corinthian Hall. Jefferson mirrored the Pantheon’s portico in the design of the rotunda at the University of Virginia and the Jefferson Memorial. The Pantheon’s undamaged, immense, and unreinforced concrete dome embodied architectural resilience, marking it as a structure that, despite previous hardships, withstands centuries of shifting religious and political power. This everlasting quality symbolized an unbroken connection between ancient Rome’s ideals and the contemporary world, a concept that aligned with Piranesi’s ambition to link past and present.

Piranesi masterfully captured the way light filtered through the oculus, transforming the interior with each hour of the day. The interplay of structure, space, and light innate to the Pantheon is evident in Piranesi’s etchings, in which he sought to evoke the building’s grandeur and atmospheric presence.

Inscription in Italian

Veduta interna del Panteon. Questo tempio fabbricato da M. Agrippa e di forma rotonda, alto quanto il suo diametro. Il primo ordine è tutto antico. Le dodici colonne principali sono di giallo come le due della tribuna quali non sono state mai rimosse dalla primiera loro situazione. L'architrave e la cornice dono di marmo, ed il fregio di porfido di porfido. Il second'ordine è moderno a riserva della cornice di marmo che è antica. Le incrostazioni di marmo, di porfido, di giallo, e di serpentino che l’adornavano, furono tolte da PP. Benedetto XIV. Perché minacciavano ruina, e fu’adornato di stucchi come si vede al presente. L’Altar maggiore e moderno fabbricato da Clemente XI Li otto altari minori sono antichi, come ancora il pavimento composto di giallo, di granito, e di porfido.

English Translation by Andrew Gibson: 

This temple built by Marcus Agrippa is round in shape, as high as its diameter. The first level is all ancient. The twelve principal columns are gold like the two in the grandstand as they were never removed from their original situation. The architrave and the cornice are of marble, and the frieze of porphyry. The second level is modern except the ancient marble cornice. Encrustations of marble, porphyry, gold, and serpentine that adorned the room were removed by Pope Benedict XIV as they threatened ruin, and were adorned with stucco as seen today. The main altar was reconstructed by Pope Clement XI. The eight minor altars are ancient, as well as the floor, composed of gold, granite, and porphyry. 

Photos courtesy of Dr. Pollack. 

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