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| Antique architectural prints by Piranesi |
Giovanni Battista Piranesi was born near Mestre, Italy, in 1720. He grew up in Venice, where he studied engraving with Carlo Zucchi and stage designing with Ferdinando Bibiena. Piranesi’s first trip to Rome (1740) with the ambassador to the papal court, was important. He learned etching from Vasi and Polanzani. Etching is one of the intaglio processes of printmaking. In the etching process the line is cut by the action of acid acting on metal, making it more varied in depth, width and texture than the engraved line. Etching is frequently used in conjunction with other techniques such as engraving, drypoint, or aquatint to allow the maximum degree of tonal textural variation.
As one
of the most prolific graphic artists of all time, Piranesi,
a superb draftsman and ornamentalist, etched his large
copper plates to make extensive editions, popular in his own
time; they have been steel-faced and continue to be used. He
died in Rome in 1778, and his visionary work continues to be
collected today. The etchings below are printed on paper
size of 33-3/8 x 22-39", and were printed in Rome in 1779. |
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