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)
Roman antiquities ... divided into four..., 1761

Giovanni Battista Piranesi

Roman antiquities ... divided into four..., 1761

Sale Date: June 16, 2022

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Giovanni Battista Piranesi

"Veduta del Palazzo Odeschalchi" (ur:..., 1753

Sale Date: June 8, 2022

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Giovanni Battista Piranesi

"Veduta del Palazzo Farnese" (ur: "Vedute di , 1773

Sale Date: June 8, 2022

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From: Vedute di Roma

Giovanni Battista Piranesi

From: Vedute di Roma

Sale Date: June 9, 2022

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Veduta del Tempio della Fortuna virile, 1758

Giovanni Battista Piranesi

Veduta del Tempio della Fortuna virile, 1758

Sale Date: June 1, 2022

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17 Blatt sus

Giovanni Battista Piranesi

17 Blatt sus "Le Antichità Romane

Sale Date: June 1, 2022

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Opere Varie di Architettura

Giovanni Battista Piranesi

Opere Varie di Architettura

Sale Date: June 1, 2022

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Ca. 19 Blatt aus verschiedenen Folgen

Giovanni Battista Piranesi

Ca. 19 Blatt aus verschiedenen Folgen

Sale Date: June 1, 2022

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Veduta della vasta Fontana di Trevi, 1751

Giovanni Battista Piranesi

Veduta della vasta Fontana di Trevi, 1751

Sale Date: June 1, 2022

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Veduta del Tempio, detto della Tosse, 1763

Giovanni Battista Piranesi

Veduta del Tempio, detto della Tosse, 1763

Sale Date: June 1, 2022

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Parte di ampio magnifico Porto all'uso..., 1749–1750

Giovanni Battista Piranesi

Parte di ampio magnifico Porto all'uso..., 1749–1750

Sale Date: June 1, 2022

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Veduta del Piano superiore del Serraglio..., 1775

Giovanni Battista Piranesi

Veduta del Piano superiore del Serraglio..., 1775

Sale Date: June 1, 2022

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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: June 1, 2022

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Veduta del tempio della Sibilla in Tivoli, 1761

Giovanni Battista Piranesi

Veduta del tempio della Sibilla in Tivoli, 1761

Sale Date: June 1, 2022

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Veduta della Basilica e Piazza di San Pietro , 1748

Giovanni Battista Piranesi

Veduta della Basilica e Piazza di San Pietro , 1748

Sale Date: June 1, 2022

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Veduta del Tempio di Antonino e Faustina in..., 1758

Giovanni Battista Piranesi

Veduta del Tempio di Antonino e Faustina in..., 1758

Sale Date: June 1, 2022

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Prima parte di architetture e prospettive

Giovanni Battista Piranesi

Prima parte di architetture e prospettive

Sale Date: June 1, 2022

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Diverse maniere d'adornare i Cammini, 1769

Giovanni Battista Piranesi

Diverse maniere d'adornare i Cammini, 1769

Sale Date: June 1, 2022

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Giovanni Battista Piranesi, Veduta della cascata

Giovanni Battista Piranesi

Giovanni Battista Piranesi, Veduta della cascata

Sale Date: June 8, 2022

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Giovanni Battista Piranesi, Veduta delle...

Giovanni Battista Piranesi

Giovanni Battista Piranesi, Veduta delle...

Sale Date: June 8, 2022

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Piranesi, Giovanni Battista

Giovanni Battista Piranesi

Piranesi, Giovanni Battista

Sale Date: May 18, 2022

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Veduta interna della Villa di Mecenate

Giovanni Battista Piranesi

Veduta interna della Villa di Mecenate

Sale Date: May 18, 2022

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The Arch with a Shell Ornament (Plate XI from...

Giovanni Battista Piranesi

The Arch with a Shell Ornament (Plate XI from...

Sale Date: May 1, 2022

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THE SAWHORSE (HIND 8; FOCILLON 31;..., 1749–1750

Giovanni Battista Piranesi

THE SAWHORSE (HIND 8; FOCILLON 31;..., 1749–1750

Sale Date: April 26, 2022

Auction Closed

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