Giovanni Battista Piranesi

(Italian, 1720–1778)

Giovanni Battista Piranesi was an Italian draftsman, printmaker, and architect. Famed for his Neoclassical etchings, Piranesi used ancient Greek and Roman ruins as inspiration to create macabre dungeon scenes filled with elaborate contraptions. “I need to produce great ideas,” the artist once stated. “And I believe that if I were commissioned to design a new universe, I would be mad enough to undertake it.” Born on October 4, 1720 in Mogliano Veneto, Italy, he went on to study Latin, ancient Roman culture, architecture, and later etching under Giuseppe Vasi at the Palazzo Venezia. These studies, combined with his subtle use of gravure techniques, granted his etchings believable depth and structural perspective. Piranesi’s depictions of Rome quickly garnered him commissions from members of the clergy and aristocracy, and would influence later generations of artists including the Surrealists. Piranesi died on November 9, 1778 in Rome, Italy. Today, his works are in the collections of the Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg, the J. Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles, the Louvre Museum in Paris, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, among others.

Most Expensive Artwork Sold at Auction

Invenzioni Capric di Carceri (14 works), 1758 - 1760
Sold price: 459,750 USD

Giovanni Battista Piranesi Artworks

Giovanni Battista Piranesi (8,868 results)

Veduta della Basilica di S. Sebastiano, 1750

Giovanni Battista Piranesi

Veduta della Basilica di S. Sebastiano, 1750

Sale Date: June 7, 2023

Auction Closed

Avanzi del Tempio del Dio Canopo, 1768

Giovanni Battista Piranesi

Avanzi del Tempio del Dio Canopo, 1768

Sale Date: June 7, 2023

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Der Treppenaufgang mit den Trophäen

Giovanni Battista Piranesi

Der Treppenaufgang mit den Trophäen

Sale Date: June 7, 2023

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Vue de ce qui reste encore des Murs A. de..., 1778

Giovanni Battista Piranesi

Vue de ce qui reste encore des Murs A. de..., 1778

Sale Date: June 7, 2023

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Veduta della Piazza del Campidoglio, 1774

Giovanni Battista Piranesi

Veduta della Piazza del Campidoglio, 1774

Sale Date: June 7, 2023

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Veduta del Tempio di Antonino e Faustina in..., 1748

Giovanni Battista Piranesi

Veduta del Tempio di Antonino e Faustina in..., 1748

Sale Date: June 7, 2023

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Veduta della Facciata della Basilica di S...., 1775

Giovanni Battista Piranesi

Veduta della Facciata della Basilica di S...., 1775

Sale Date: June 7, 2023

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Veduta del Tempio della Fortuna virile, 1758

Giovanni Battista Piranesi

Veduta del Tempio della Fortuna virile, 1758

Sale Date: June 7, 2023

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The Tomb, called La Conocchia, 1776

Giovanni Battista Piranesi

The Tomb, called La Conocchia, 1776

Sale Date: July 15, 2023

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Six Piranesi Prints

Giovanni Battista Piranesi

Six Piranesi Prints

Sale Date: July 12, 2023

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Obelisco Egizio

Giovanni Battista Piranesi

Obelisco Egizio

Sale Date: July 4, 2023

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Dimostrazioni dell'emissario del lago Albano

Giovanni Battista Piranesi

Dimostrazioni dell'emissario del lago Albano

Sale Date: July 4, 2023

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Veduta del Tempio, detto della Tosse

Giovanni Battista Piranesi

Veduta del Tempio, detto della Tosse

Sale Date: July 4, 2023

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Veduta di Piazza Navona sopra le rovine del...

Giovanni Battista Piranesi

Veduta di Piazza Navona sopra le rovine del...

Sale Date: July 4, 2023

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Veduta degli Avanzi di Fabbrica magnifica...

Giovanni Battista Piranesi

Veduta degli Avanzi di Fabbrica magnifica...

Sale Date: July 4, 2023

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Veduta della Facciata di dietro della Basilica...

Giovanni Battista Piranesi

Veduta della Facciata di dietro della Basilica...

Sale Date: July 4, 2023

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Veduta del Sepolcro di Cajo Cestio, 1755

Giovanni Battista Piranesi

Veduta del Sepolcro di Cajo Cestio, 1755

Sale Date: April 11, 2023

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Giovanni Battista Piranesi

"Rovine delle Terme Antoniane", 1765

Sale Date: May 16, 2023

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Colonna Antonina

Giovanni Battista Piranesi

Colonna Antonina

Sale Date: July 19, 2023

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View of the Villa d’Este, Tivoli; and View of...

Giovanni Battista Piranesi

View of the Villa d’Este, Tivoli; and View of...

Sale Date: July 19, 2023

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VEDUTA DELL'ARCO DI TITO; VEDUTA DEL TEMPIO...

Giovanni Battista Piranesi

VEDUTA DELL'ARCO DI TITO; VEDUTA DEL TEMPIO...

Sale Date: June 28, 2023

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The Staircase with Trophies, from..., 1749–1760

Giovanni Battista Piranesi

The Staircase with Trophies, from..., 1749–1760

Sale Date: June 27, 2023

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HOMME DE DOS

Circle of Giovanni Battista Piranesi

Sale Date: June 21, 2023

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Die große Tafel, 1747

Giovanni Battista Piranesi

Die große Tafel, 1747

Sale Date: June 23, 2023

Auction Closed

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