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)

THE STAIRCASE WITH TROPHIES (HIND 8;..., 1749–1750

Giovanni Battista Piranesi

THE STAIRCASE WITH TROPHIES (HIND 8;..., 1749–1750

Sale Date: April 26, 2022

Auction Closed

Complete Set of 16 sheets: Carceri..., 1749

Giovanni Battista Piranesi

Complete Set of 16 sheets: Carceri..., 1749

Sale Date: May 18, 2022

Auction Closed

The Pier with Chains, 1750

Giovanni Battista Piranesi

The Pier with Chains, 1750

Sale Date: May 18, 2022

Auction Closed

The Pier with a Lamp, 1749

Giovanni Battista Piranesi

The Pier with a Lamp, 1749

Sale Date: May 18, 2022

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The Well, 1749

Giovanni Battista Piranesi

The Well, 1749

Sale Date: May 18, 2022

Auction Closed

The Giant Wheel, 1749

Giovanni Battista Piranesi

The Giant Wheel, 1749

Sale Date: May 18, 2022

Auction Closed

The Arch with a Shell Ornament, 1749

Giovanni Battista Piranesi

The Arch with a Shell Ornament, 1749

Sale Date: May 18, 2022

Auction Closed

Prisoners on a Projecting Platform, 1749

Giovanni Battista Piranesi

Prisoners on a Projecting Platform, 1749

Sale Date: May 18, 2022

Auction Closed

The Man on the Rack

Giovanni Battista Piranesi

The Man on the Rack

Sale Date: May 18, 2022

Auction Closed

The Smoking Fire, 1749

Giovanni Battista Piranesi

The Smoking Fire, 1749

Sale Date: May 18, 2022

Auction Closed

The Grand Piazza, 1765–1774

Giovanni Battista Piranesi

The Grand Piazza, 1765–1774

Sale Date: May 18, 2022

Auction Closed

Complete Set of 16 sheets: Carceri..., 1749

Giovanni Battista Piranesi

Complete Set of 16 sheets: Carceri..., 1749

Sale Date: May 18, 2022

Auction Closed

Veduta del Porto di Ripa Grande *..., 1753–1757

Giovanni Battista Piranesi

Veduta del Porto di Ripa Grande *..., 1753–1757

Sale Date: April 28, 2022

Auction Closed

Colonna Antonina., 1758

Giovanni Battista Piranesi

Colonna Antonina., 1758

Sale Date: April 28, 2022

Auction Closed

Three etchings from Vedute di Roma., 1749

Giovanni Battista Piranesi

Three etchings from Vedute di Roma., 1749

Sale Date: April 28, 2022

Auction Closed

Veduta del Palazzo Farnese., 1773

Giovanni Battista Piranesi

Veduta del Palazzo Farnese., 1773

Sale Date: April 28, 2022

Auction Closed

The Skeletons., 1750

Giovanni Battista Piranesi

The Skeletons., 1750

Sale Date: April 28, 2022

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The Sawhorse., 1749–1750

Giovanni Battista Piranesi

The Sawhorse., 1749–1750

Sale Date: April 28, 2022

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Veduta dell'insigne Basilica Vaticana..., 1775

Giovanni Battista Piranesi

Veduta dell'insigne Basilica Vaticana..., 1775

Sale Date: April 28, 2022

Auction Closed

Veduta delle Cascatelle a Tivoli., 1769

Giovanni Battista Piranesi

Veduta delle Cascatelle a Tivoli., 1769

Sale Date: April 28, 2022

Auction Closed

Arco di Settimio Severo., 1759

Giovanni Battista Piranesi

Arco di Settimio Severo., 1759

Sale Date: April 28, 2022

Auction Closed

Veduta di Piazza di Spagna., 1751

Giovanni Battista Piranesi

Veduta di Piazza di Spagna., 1751

Sale Date: April 28, 2022

Auction Closed

Veduta della vasta Fontana de Trevi..., 1751

Giovanni Battista Piranesi

Veduta della vasta Fontana de Trevi..., 1751

Sale Date: April 28, 2022

Auction Closed

Veduta di Piazza Navona sopra le Rovine del..., 1751

Giovanni Battista Piranesi

Veduta di Piazza Navona sopra le Rovine del..., 1751

Sale Date: April 28, 2022

Auction Closed

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