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

Artworks for Sale &
Auction Results

Giovanni Battista Piranesi (8,868 results)
Veduta interna della Basilica di S. Pietro..., 1748

Giovanni Battista Piranesi

Veduta interna della Basilica di S. Pietro..., 1748

Sale Date: May 11, 2023

Auction Closed

Veduta del Ponte, e del Mausoleo, fabbicati..., 1756

Giovanni Battista Piranesi

Veduta del Ponte, e del Mausoleo, fabbicati..., 1756

Sale Date: May 11, 2023

Auction Closed

The Grand Piazza., 1749–1750

Giovanni Battista Piranesi

The Grand Piazza., 1749–1750

Sale Date: May 11, 2023

Auction Closed

Carceri d'Invenzione: Title Plate., 1749–1750

Giovanni Battista Piranesi

Carceri d'Invenzione: Title Plate., 1749–1750

Sale Date: May 11, 2023

Auction Closed

The Smoking Fire., 1749–1750

Giovanni Battista Piranesi

The Smoking Fire., 1749–1750

Sale Date: May 11, 2023

Auction Closed

The Sawhorse., 1749–1750

Giovanni Battista Piranesi

The Sawhorse., 1749–1750

Sale Date: May 11, 2023

Auction Closed

The Grand Piazza., 1749–1750

Giovanni Battista Piranesi

The Grand Piazza., 1749–1750

Sale Date: May 11, 2023

Auction Closed

Prisoners on a Projecting Platform., 1749–1750

Giovanni Battista Piranesi

Prisoners on a Projecting Platform., 1749–1750

Sale Date: May 11, 2023

Auction Closed

Veduta della Cascata di Tivoli, 1776

Giovanni Battista Piranesi

Veduta della Cascata di Tivoli, 1776

Sale Date: May 25, 2023

Auction Closed

Veduta delle antiche Costruzioni fatte da..., 1776

Giovanni Battista Piranesi

Veduta delle antiche Costruzioni fatte da..., 1776

Sale Date: May 25, 2023

Auction Closed

Veduta del Palazzo Stopani (Vidoni Caffarelli), 1776

Giovanni Battista Piranesi

Veduta del Palazzo Stopani (Vidoni Caffarelli), 1776

Sale Date: May 25, 2023

Auction Closed

Veduta della Cascata di Tivoli, 1769

Giovanni Battista Piranesi

Veduta della Cascata di Tivoli, 1769

Sale Date: May 25, 2023

Auction Closed

Veduta del tempio della Sibilla in Tivoli, 1761

Giovanni Battista Piranesi

Veduta del tempio della Sibilla in Tivoli, 1761

Sale Date: May 25, 2023

Auction Closed

Altra Veduta del Tempio della Sibilla in..., 1761

Giovanni Battista Piranesi

Altra Veduta del Tempio della Sibilla in..., 1761

Sale Date: May 25, 2023

Auction Closed

The round tower, 1749

Giovanni Battista Piranesi

The round tower, 1749

Sale Date: May 25, 2023

Auction Closed

Veduta interna della Villa di Mecenate, 1764

Giovanni Battista Piranesi

Veduta interna della Villa di Mecenate, 1764

Sale Date: May 25, 2023

Auction Closed

The round tower, 1749

Giovanni Battista Piranesi

The round tower, 1749

Sale Date: May 25, 2023

Auction Closed

Konvolut

Giovanni Battista Piranesi

Konvolut

Sale Date: May 11, 2023

Auction Closed

Carceri d'invenzione Blatt XVI

Giovanni Battista Piranesi

Carceri d'invenzione Blatt XVI

Sale Date: May 11, 2023

Auction Closed

Giovanni Battista Piranesi

"Veduta dell' Arco di Tito", 1771

Sale Date: April 4, 2023

Auction Closed

Giovanni Battista Piranesi

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

Sale Date: April 4, 2023

Auction Closed

Veduta dell'Arco di Costantino, e..., 1760

Giovanni Battista Piranesi

Veduta dell'Arco di Costantino, e..., 1760

Sale Date: April 4, 2023

Auction Closed

A Pianta dell'Avanzo di Parete...

Giovanni Battista Piranesi

A Pianta dell'Avanzo di Parete...", "A Pianta di

Sale Date: April 21, 2023

Auction Closed

Veduta dell'Arco di Costantino from Veduti..., 1771

Giovanni Battista Piranesi

Veduta dell'Arco di Costantino from Veduti..., 1771

Sale Date: April 20, 2023

Auction Closed

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