View of the rear entrance of the Basilica of S. Maria Maggiore, from Veduta di Roma (Roman Views)

Art Historical Context

Giovanni Battista Piranesi's *View of the Rear Entrance the Basilica of S. Maggiore*, from his renowned *Veduta di Roma* (Roman Views) series (ca 1742), offers a captivating etching of one of Rome's four major papal basilicas. first-state impression—one of only five variants—captures the ornate rear facade amid the city's architectural splendor, including obelisks grand buildings that evoke Rome's layered history from antiquity to the Baroque era. Piranesi, a visionary 18th-century Venetian architect and printmaker, revolutionized the *veduta* genre with his dramatic, detailed depictions of Rome, fueling the Grand Tour's fascination with the Eternal City. Produced through meticulous etching by Bouchard & Gravier, the print's vast plate (15 13/16 x 24 3/16 in.) immerses viewers in intricate stonework and spatial depth, blending architectural precision with theatrical lighting to convey monumental scale. Housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Drawings and Prints department (gift of Mrs. David Keppel, 1960), this work highlights the Basilica's cultural importance as a 5th-century pilgrimage site enriched by later Renaissance and Baroque transformations. Piranesi's prints not only preserved Rome's heritage but also inspired generations of artists and travelers.

About the Artist

Giovanni Battista Piranesi|Bouchard & Gravier · 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...