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)

Fantasy Of Ruins With Statue Of Minerva, 1748

Giovanni Battista Piranesi

Fantasy Of Ruins With Statue Of Minerva, 1748

Sale Date: December 19, 2022

Auction Closed

Sepolcro Di Cecilia Metella, 1762

Giovanni Battista Piranesi

Sepolcro Di Cecilia Metella, 1762

Sale Date: December 19, 2022

Auction Closed

View of the Odescalchi Palace

Giovanni Battista Piranesi

View of the Odescalchi Palace

Sale Date: December 16, 2022

Auction Closed

View of the customs house in Piazza di Pietra

Giovanni Battista Piranesi

View of the customs house in Piazza di Pietra

Sale Date: December 16, 2022

Auction Closed

View of the Spanish Steps

Giovanni Battista Piranesi

View of the Spanish Steps

Sale Date: December 16, 2022

Auction Closed

Veduta dell'Anfiteatro Flavio, detto il..., 1757

Giovanni Battista Piranesi

Veduta dell'Anfiteatro Flavio, detto il..., 1757

Sale Date: December 7, 2022

Auction Closed

Avanzi d'un portico coperto, o criptoportico , 1766

Giovanni Battista Piranesi

Avanzi d'un portico coperto, o criptoportico , 1766

Sale Date: December 7, 2022

Auction Closed

The Staircase with Trophies (Robison 34), 1749

Giovanni Battista Piranesi

The Staircase with Trophies (Robison 34), 1749

Sale Date: December 9, 2022

Auction Closed

Feu au Temple de Jupiter (Hind p. 90, Le..., 1804

After Giovanni Battista Piranesi

Feu au Temple de Jupiter (Hind p. 90, Le..., 1804

Sale Date: December 9, 2022

Auction Closed

FOUR PRINTS

Giovanni Battista Piranesi

Sale Date: November 30, 2022

Auction Closed

Important recueil comprenant plusieurs suites

Giovanni Battista Piranesi

Important recueil comprenant plusieurs suites

Sale Date: December 1, 2022

Auction Closed

VEDUTA DELL'ARCO DI SETTIMIO SEVERO

Giovanni Battista Piranesi

VEDUTA DELL'ARCO DI SETTIMIO SEVERO

Sale Date: December 1, 2022

Auction Closed

ALTRA VEDUTA DEGLI AVANZI DEL PRONARO DEL TIEMPO

Giovanni Battista Piranesi

ALTRA VEDUTA DEGLI AVANZI DEL PRONARO DEL TIEMPO

Sale Date: December 1, 2022

Auction Closed

Frontansicht der Trajanssäule in Rom, 1755–1776

Giovanni Battista Piranesi

Frontansicht der Trajanssäule in Rom, 1755–1776

Sale Date: December 2, 2022

Auction Closed

Three Framed Etchings: Veduta della Facciata...

Giovanni Battista Piranesi

Three Framed Etchings: Veduta della Facciata...

Sale Date: December 1, 2022

Auction Closed

Veduta del Porto di Ripa Grande, 1753

Giovanni Battista Piranesi

Veduta del Porto di Ripa Grande, 1753

Sale Date: November 30, 2022

Auction Closed

Veduta della Piazza e Basilica di S...., 1775

Giovanni Battista Piranesi

Veduta della Piazza e Basilica di S...., 1775

Sale Date: November 30, 2022

Auction Closed

Altra veduta degli avanzi del Pronao del..., 1774

Giovanni Battista Piranesi

Altra veduta degli avanzi del Pronao del..., 1774

Sale Date: November 30, 2022

Auction Closed

Veduta in prospettiva della gran Fontana..., 1773

Giovanni Battista Piranesi

Veduta in prospettiva della gran Fontana..., 1773

Sale Date: November 30, 2022

Auction Closed

Veduta del Sito, 1756

Giovanni Battista Piranesi

Veduta del Sito, 1756

Sale Date: November 30, 2022

Auction Closed

Veduta del tempio della Sibilla in Tivoli, 1761

Giovanni Battista Piranesi

Veduta del tempio della Sibilla in Tivoli, 1761

Sale Date: November 30, 2022

Auction Closed

Veduta della Piazza della Rotonda, 1751

Giovanni Battista Piranesi

Veduta della Piazza della Rotonda, 1751

Sale Date: November 30, 2022

Auction Closed

Veduta della Piazza di Monte Cavallo, 1773

Giovanni Battista Piranesi

Veduta della Piazza di Monte Cavallo, 1773

Sale Date: November 30, 2022

Auction Closed

Veduta del Castello dell'Acqua Paola sul..., 1751

Giovanni Battista Piranesi

Veduta del Castello dell'Acqua Paola sul..., 1751

Sale Date: November 30, 2022

Auction Closed

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