Piranesi’s Rome
Introduction
Giovanni Battista Piranesi (1720-1778) was a Venetian artist renowned for his works depicting ancient Rome’s architectural marvels. As the son of a stonemason and master builder, Piranesi was destined to capture the grandeur and inevitable decay of Rome, and indeed, no one was better suited for this endeavor. Though Piranesi was born in Mogliano near Mestre, a borough of the commune of Venice, it was in Venice where he spent the first twenty years of his life studying architecture and stage design. He considered himself an architect, consistently signing his work “architetto.” He initially apprenticed under his uncle, receiving practical training in structural and hydraulic engineering. This very background in architecture set Piranesi’s work apart.
Exhibited Works
Architecture and Perspectives
(Prima Parte di Architettura, e Prospettive)
Views of Rome
(Vedute di Roma)
The Campus Martius of Ancient Rome Series
(Il Campo Marzio dell’ Antica Rome)
Different Views of Paestum
(Différentes vues de Pesto)
Learn More
Physical Installation of "Piranesi's Rome"
Piranesi's Rome in the Press:
"A Summer WID Becomes an Exhibition"
"Rome Now: A Pop-Up Exhibition Brings the 'Eternal City' to GW"
Video: Rome Now: A Pop-Up Exhibition (Piranesi Art Exhibition)
"All’IIC di Washington 'Piranesi’s Rome: Views of the Eternal City'"
"Speaking Ruins: Rome Through the Eyes of Giovanni Battista Piranesi"
"'Piranesi's Rome: View of the Eternal City' at the IIC in Washington"