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.

Related Categories

Drawings and Works on Paper, Old Masters, Prints and Multiples

Related Artists

Etienne Louis Boullee, Canaletto, Francesco Piranesi, Giovanni Battista Tiepolo, Giuseppe Vasi

Most Expensive Artwork Sold at Auction

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

Giovanni Battista Piranesi Artworks

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Giovanni Battista Piranesi (8,868 results)
Rovine del Sisto o sia della gran sala delle , 1765

Giovanni Battista Piranesi

Rovine del Sisto o sia della gran sala delle , 1765

Sale Date: June 19, 2023

Auction Closed

Vu du Colisée

Giovanni Battista Piranesi

Vu du Colisée

Sale Date: June 7, 2023

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Place du Capitole

Giovanni Battista Piranesi

Place du Capitole

Sale Date: June 7, 2023

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Un coin du forum romain, avec le temple de..., 1756

Giovanni Battista Piranesi

Un coin du forum romain, avec le temple de..., 1756

Sale Date: June 7, 2023

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Prisoners on a Projecting Platform, X from:..., 1749

Giovanni Battista Piranesi

Prisoners on a Projecting Platform, X from:..., 1749

Sale Date: June 20, 2023

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Giovanni Battista Piranesi

"Veduta dell' insigne Basilica Vaticana..., 1775

Sale Date: May 25, 2023

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Piramide di C. Cestio, 1756

Giovanni Battista Piranesi

Piramide di C. Cestio, 1756

Sale Date: June 8, 2023

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Das Löwenrelief, 1761

Giovanni Battista Piranesi

Das Löwenrelief, 1761

Sale Date: June 8, 2023

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Veduta dell'Anfiteatro Flavio detto il..., 1776

Giovanni Battista Piranesi

Veduta dell'Anfiteatro Flavio detto il..., 1776

Sale Date: June 2, 2023

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VEDUTA DELLA PIAZZA DEL POPOLO (HIND 14;...

Giovanni Battista Piranesi

VEDUTA DELLA PIAZZA DEL POPOLO (HIND 14;...

Sale Date: May 24, 2023

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Two men seen from behind, one leaning on a..., 1773

Giovanni Battista Piranesi

Two men seen from behind, one leaning on a..., 1773

Sale Date: June 15, 2023

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LA TOMBA DI NERONE (dalla serie

Giovanni Battista Piranesi

LA TOMBA DI NERONE (dalla serie "Grotteschi")

Sale Date: May 24, 2023

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FANCIULLO CON MASCHERONE

Giovanni Battista Piranesi

FANCIULLO CON MASCHERONE

Sale Date: May 24, 2023

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Piranesi Lithograph

Giovanni Battista Piranesi

Piranesi Lithograph

Sale Date: May 21, 2023

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Architectural fantasy from the 'Prima parte..., 1743

Giovanni Battista Piranesi

Architectural fantasy from the 'Prima parte..., 1743

Sale Date: May 17, 2023

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Veduta della vasta Fontana de Trevi..., 1751

Giovanni Battista Piranesi

Veduta della vasta Fontana de Trevi..., 1751

Sale Date: May 11, 2023

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Veduta di Piazza Navona sopra le Rovine del..., 1751

Giovanni Battista Piranesi

Veduta di Piazza Navona sopra le Rovine del..., 1751

Sale Date: May 11, 2023

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Two etchings of the Fontana de Trevi from..., 1751

Giovanni Battista Piranesi

Two etchings of the Fontana de Trevi from..., 1751

Sale Date: May 11, 2023

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Veduta, nella Via del Corso, del Palazzo..., 1749

Giovanni Battista Piranesi

Veduta, nella Via del Corso, del Palazzo..., 1749

Sale Date: May 11, 2023

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Veduta del Sepolcro di Caio Cestio., 1755

Giovanni Battista Piranesi

Veduta del Sepolcro di Caio Cestio., 1755

Sale Date: May 11, 2023

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Veduta interna del Pronao del Pantheon., 1769

Giovanni Battista Piranesi

Veduta interna del Pronao del Pantheon., 1769

Sale Date: May 11, 2023

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Veduta di Campo Vaccino., 1757

Giovanni Battista Piranesi

Veduta di Campo Vaccino., 1757

Sale Date: May 11, 2023

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Three etchings from the Vedute di Roma., 1750

Giovanni Battista Piranesi

Three etchings from the Vedute di Roma., 1750

Sale Date: May 11, 2023

Auction Closed

Veduta interna della Basilica di S. Pietro..., 1773

Giovanni Battista Piranesi

Veduta interna della Basilica di S. Pietro..., 1773

Sale Date: May 11, 2023

Auction Closed

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