View of the Bridge Known as Ponte Molle (Scenographia Pontis hodie Mollis)
Not on Display
The Ponte Molle, or Ponte Milvio, held extreme significance in the late Roman Empire. In this etching of the bridge, Giovanni Battista Piranesi highlights weathered stone and a broken roadway inconsistent with the actual condition of the bridge in 1762. In reality, the structure had undergone restoration and remained fully functional. The inscription reveals the structure etched in this work is the original Ponte Milvio from the 15th century—before it was repaired by Pope Nicholas V.
Figures rowing in boats and climbing the stone beside the arches exude a sense of desperation. The individuals must continue life despite the destruction surrounding them, bearing insight into Piranesi’s view of Rome at the time.
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Series:
The Campus Martius of Ancient Rome (Il Campo Marzio dell' Antica Roma), Plate 39
Artist/Maker:
Geography:
Europe; Italy
Culture:
Italian
Medium:
Etching on laid paper
Collection:
GW Collection
Accession Number:
CGA.68.26.527
Credit Line:
Gift from the Trustees of the Corcoran Gallery of Art (Bequest of Frank B. Bristow)
Date:
1762;
Keywords:
Architecture; 18th Century; Captions; Classicism; Ruin (built environment); Ruin (built environment); Fantasy
Copyright:
Public domain
Object Type:
Print
Dimensions:
Platemark 23.81 H x 35.56 W cm (9 3/8 H x 14 W in)
Sheet/Page 40.32 H x 53.34 W cm (15 7/8 H x 21 W in)
Structure:
etching
Provenance:
Frank B. Bristow [1885-1968], Virginia, 1968; Bequest to the Corcoran Gallery of Art, Washington, DC, 1968-2018; Gift to the George Washington University, Washington, DC, 2018.
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Bibliography:
Arthur M. Hind (Author), Giovanni Battista Piranesi: A Critical Study, with a List of His Published Works and Detailed Catalogues of the Prisons and the Views of Rome, Da Capo Press, New York, 1967, ©1922, no. 85
Henri Focillon (Author), Giovanni-Battista Piranesi: Essai de Catalogue Raisonné de Son Oeuvre, Librairie Renouard, Henri Laurens, Paris, 1918
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Exhibition History:
Fall Selections: Building a Collection, Luther W. Brady Art Gallery, Washington DC, September 01, 2021 - December 17, 2021
Piranesi's Rome: Views of the Eternal City, Luther W. Brady Art Gallery, Olivia Kohler-Maga, September 04, 2024 - December 07, 2024
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