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)
Colonna Antonina, 1758

Giovanni Battista Piranesi

Colonna Antonina, 1758

Sale Date: November 30, 2022

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Veduta del Tempio di Bacco, 1758

Giovanni Battista Piranesi

Veduta del Tempio di Bacco, 1758

Sale Date: November 30, 2022

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Veduta delle Terme di Tito, 1776

Giovanni Battista Piranesi

Veduta delle Terme di Tito, 1776

Sale Date: November 30, 2022

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Veduta dell'esterno della gran Basilica di..., 1748

Giovanni Battista Piranesi

Veduta dell'esterno della gran Basilica di..., 1748

Sale Date: November 30, 2022

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Veduta della Piazza di Monte Cavallo, 1750

Giovanni Battista Piranesi

Veduta della Piazza di Monte Cavallo, 1750

Sale Date: November 30, 2022

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Tempj del Sole e della Luna, 1759

Giovanni Battista Piranesi

Tempj del Sole e della Luna, 1759

Sale Date: November 30, 2022

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Tavola Topografica di Roma, 1756

Giovanni Battista Piranesi

Tavola Topografica di Roma, 1756

Sale Date: November 30, 2022

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Obelisco Egizio, 1759

Giovanni Battista Piranesi

Obelisco Egizio, 1759

Sale Date: November 30, 2022

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Piramide di C. Cestio, 1756

Giovanni Battista Piranesi

Piramide di C. Cestio, 1756

Sale Date: November 30, 2022

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Die Zugbrücke, Platte VII, 2nd edition from..., 1749

Giovanni Battista Piranesi

Die Zugbrücke, Platte VII, 2nd edition from..., 1749

Sale Date: November 30, 2022

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Veduta del Sepolcro di Cajo Cestio

Giovanni Battista Piranesi

Veduta del Sepolcro di Cajo Cestio

Sale Date: November 30, 2022

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Der Ziehbrunnen, Platte VIII, 2nd..., 1749–1760

Giovanni Battista Piranesi

Der Ziehbrunnen, Platte VIII, 2nd..., 1749–1760

Sale Date: November 30, 2022

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Altra veduta interna della Villa di Mecenate , 1767

Giovanni Battista Piranesi

Altra veduta interna della Villa di Mecenate , 1767

Sale Date: November 25, 2022

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Avanzi della Villa di Mecenate a Tivoli

Giovanni Battista Piranesi

Avanzi della Villa di Mecenate a Tivoli

Sale Date: November 25, 2022

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L’arche gothique, Carceri d’invenzione, , 1760–1839

Giovanni Battista Piranesi

L’arche gothique, Carceri d’invenzione, , 1760–1839

Sale Date: November 22, 2022

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The Round Tower, 1749

Giovanni Battista Piranesi

The Round Tower, 1749

Sale Date: November 18, 2022

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Veduta delle antiche Costruzioni fatte da..., 1776

Giovanni Battista Piranesi

Veduta delle antiche Costruzioni fatte da..., 1776

Sale Date: November 18, 2022

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Veduta della Cascata di Tivoli, 1769

Giovanni Battista Piranesi

Veduta della Cascata di Tivoli, 1769

Sale Date: November 18, 2022

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The Lion Bas-Reliefs, 1749

Giovanni Battista Piranesi

The Lion Bas-Reliefs, 1749

Sale Date: November 18, 2022

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The Sawhorse, 1749

Giovanni Battista Piranesi

The Sawhorse, 1749

Sale Date: November 18, 2022

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The Staircase with Trophies, 1749

Giovanni Battista Piranesi

The Staircase with Trophies, 1749

Sale Date: November 18, 2022

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Veduta della Cascata di Tivoli, 1776

Giovanni Battista Piranesi

Veduta della Cascata di Tivoli, 1776

Sale Date: November 18, 2022

Auction Closed

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

Giovanni Battista Piranesi

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

Sale Date: November 18, 2022

Auction Closed

The Grand Piazza, 1749

Giovanni Battista Piranesi

The Grand Piazza, 1749

Sale Date: November 18, 2022

Auction Closed

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