Cut-away view of the interior of the Basilica of S. Paul outside of the walls (Spaccato interno della Basilica di S. Paolo fuori delle Mura)

St. Paul’s Basilica, one of four major papal basilicas, was erected by Constantine in the 4th century CE. Built over the remains of Saint Paul the Apostle, the building serves as a memorial to him and a place to worship. In Piranesi’s rendition of the Basilica, the architecture steals the show, with detailed Corinthian columns and medallions of each Pope along the walls. The version of St. Paul from 1748 is slightly different from the version that lives today. A fire broke out in 1823 that destroyed large portions of the structure. Though it was rebuilt as a near replica of what once stood, gold embellishments and small details differentiate the modern version from Piranesi’s.

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