Remains of a room belonging to the Praetorian Fort at Hadrian's Villa, Tivoli, from Views of Rome
1774, published 1800–07
Medium
Etching on heavy ivory laid paper
Dimensions
Image: 43.6 × 57.6 cm (17 3/16 × 22 11/16 in.); Plate: 44.5 × 58.7 cm (17 9/16 × 23 1/8 in.); Sheet: 51.3 × 65.3 cm (20 1/4 × 25 3/4 in.)
Classification
etching
Department
Prints and Drawings
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
48198
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
In this print published by Piranesi’s sons, the artist depicted the remnants of the Roman Emperor Hadrian’s 2nd-century villa at Tivoli, near Rome. Described by Piranesi as a room belonging to the barracks of the Praetorian Guard, the so-called Hall of the Philosophers is now thought to have been a library used for important council meetings. The apsidal chamber was originally embellished with purple porphyry stone, a coffered ceiling, and imperial sculpture in the niches. Etchings like this wou...
About the Artist
Giovanni Battista Piranesi · 1720–1778
Giovanni Battista Piranesi (1720–1778) was an Italian printmaker, architect, and antiquarian whose visionary etchings of Rome and imaginary prisons revolutionized architectural representation and profoundly influenced both Neoclassicism and Romanticism. Piranesi stands as one of the most important printmakers of the eighteenth century, fundamentally shaping European perceptions of ancient Rome an...