Vestibule of an Ancient Temple [...] (Vestibolo d'antico Tempio [...])

Through the use of one-point perspective, Piranesi is able to purposefully draw the viewer’s attention to the main altar in the back of the temple. This altar would have been the focal point of the temple’s ritual use, and now it is the focal point of the etching. The colossal arches enveloping the periphery show the grandeur of the temple and its intricate architecture. With only a few figures present in the scene, Piranesi focused his imagination on bringing the columns and friezes alive to connect the vestibule to his perspective in the 18th century. Through the animation of the architecture, Piranesi creates a space for the timelines of the past and present to coexist.

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

Henri Focillon (Author), Giovanni-Battista Piranesi: Essai de Catalogue Raisonné de Son Oeuvre, Librairie Renouard, Henri Laurens, Paris, 1918

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