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)
Cheminée à l

Giovanni Battista Piranesi

Cheminée à l"Egyptienne, 1769

Sale Date: October 22, 2022

Auction Closed

Grand

Giovanni Battista Piranesi

Grand" Urna di marmo, 1756

Sale Date: October 22, 2022

Auction Closed

Veduta della Piazza della Rotonda, 1751

Giovanni Battista Piranesi

Veduta della Piazza della Rotonda, 1751

Sale Date: October 22, 2022

Auction Closed

Veduta del Sito, ov'era l'antico Foro Romano, 1756

Giovanni Battista Piranesi

Veduta del Sito, ov'era l'antico Foro Romano, 1756

Sale Date: October 22, 2022

Auction Closed

Veduta dell

Giovanni Battista Piranesi

Veduta dell"insigne Basilica Vaticana..., 1775

Sale Date: October 22, 2022

Auction Closed

Veduta della Basilica e Piazza di S. Pietro..., 1748

Giovanni Battista Piranesi

Veduta della Basilica e Piazza di S. Pietro..., 1748

Sale Date: October 22, 2022

Auction Closed

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

Giovanni Battista Piranesi

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

Sale Date: October 22, 2022

Auction Closed

Der Triumphbogen, 1750

Giovanni Battista Piranesi

Der Triumphbogen, 1750

Sale Date: October 22, 2022

Auction Closed

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

Giovanni Battista Piranesi

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

Sale Date: October 22, 2022

Auction Closed

Vue du Temple de Neptune

Giovanni Battista Piranesi

Vue du Temple de Neptune

Sale Date: October 3, 2022

Auction Closed

Veduta interna della Chiesa della Madonna..., 1776

Giovanni Battista Piranesi

Veduta interna della Chiesa della Madonna..., 1776

Sale Date: September 20, 2022

Auction Closed

Main plate of Lapides Capitolini, 1762

Giovanni Battista Piranesi

Main plate of Lapides Capitolini, 1762

Sale Date: September 28, 2022

Auction Closed

Veduta del Ponte d'Elio Adriano, oggi detto di...

Giovanni Battista Piranesi

Veduta del Ponte d'Elio Adriano, oggi detto di...

Sale Date: September 28, 2022

Auction Closed

The Staircase with Trophies, 1749

Giovanni Battista Piranesi

The Staircase with Trophies, 1749

Sale Date: September 28, 2022

Auction Closed

Grotteschi (Grotesques): Nero’s tomb, 1750

Giovanni Battista Piranesi

Grotteschi (Grotesques): Nero’s tomb, 1750

Sale Date: September 28, 2022

Auction Closed

Veduta del Ponte Ferrato dagli Antiquari detto...

Giovanni Battista Piranesi

Veduta del Ponte Ferrato dagli Antiquari detto...

Sale Date: September 28, 2022

Auction Closed

Grotteschi (Grotesques): The Triumphal Arch, 1750

Giovanni Battista Piranesi

Grotteschi (Grotesques): The Triumphal Arch, 1750

Sale Date: September 28, 2022

Auction Closed

Veduta delle antiche Sostruzioni fatte da..., 1776

Giovanni Battista Piranesi

Veduta delle antiche Sostruzioni fatte da..., 1776

Sale Date: September 28, 2022

Auction Closed

Colonna Trajana, 1758

Giovanni Battista Piranesi

Colonna Trajana, 1758

Sale Date: September 28, 2022

Auction Closed

Colonna Antonina, 1758

Giovanni Battista Piranesi

Colonna Antonina, 1758

Sale Date: September 28, 2022

Auction Closed

Rovine del Tempio de' Castori nella Citta di , 1763

Giovanni Battista Piranesi

Rovine del Tempio de' Castori nella Citta di , 1763

Sale Date: September 28, 2022

Auction Closed

Veduta del Sepolcro di Cajo Cestio, 1755

Giovanni Battista Piranesi

Veduta del Sepolcro di Cajo Cestio, 1755

Sale Date: September 28, 2022

Auction Closed

Veduta del Mausoleo d'Elio Adriano, 1754

Giovanni Battista Piranesi

Veduta del Mausoleo d'Elio Adriano, 1754

Sale Date: September 28, 2022

Auction Closed

Obelisco Egizio, 1759

Giovanni Battista Piranesi

Obelisco Egizio, 1759

Sale Date: September 28, 2022

Auction Closed

English (US)

©2024 Artnet Worldwide Corporation. All rights reserved.