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 &
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Giovanni Battista Piranesi (8,868 results)
Veduta della vasta Fontana di Trevi..., 1751

Giovanni Battista Piranesi

Veduta della vasta Fontana di Trevi..., 1751

Sale Date: January 9, 2024

Auction Closed

Veduta della Piazza del Campidoglio, 1774

Giovanni Battista Piranesi

Veduta della Piazza del Campidoglio, 1774

Sale Date: January 9, 2024

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A Group of 4 Etchings, from Views of Rome , 1760

Giovanni Battista Piranesi

A Group of 4 Etchings, from Views of Rome , 1760

Sale Date: January 19, 2024

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L'Arco di Settimio Severo

Giovanni Battista Piranesi

L'Arco di Settimio Severo

Sale Date: December 20, 2023

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Sepolcro di Cecilia Metella ordetto Capo di...

Giovanni Battista Piranesi

Sepolcro di Cecilia Metella ordetto Capo di...

Sale Date: December 20, 2023

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COLONNA TRAJANA; COLONNA ANTONINA

After Giovanni Battista Piranesi

COLONNA TRAJANA; COLONNA ANTONINA

Sale Date: October 4, 2023

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[ARCHITECTURAL STUDIES]

Giovanni Battista Piranesi

[ARCHITECTURAL STUDIES]

Sale Date: August 10, 2023

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[ARCHITECTURAL STUDIES]

Giovanni Battista Piranesi

[ARCHITECTURAL STUDIES]

Sale Date: August 10, 2023

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Giovanni Battista Piranesi

"Veduta di un Sepolcro fuori di Porta del Popolo

Sale Date: December 5, 2023

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Giovanni Battista Piranesi

"Vue des restes du Pronaos de l'edifice, 1778

Sale Date: December 5, 2023

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Trajans Column

Giovanni Battista Piranesi

Trajans Column

Sale Date: January 14, 2024

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View of the Arch of Constantine (Veduta...

Giovanni Battista Piranesi

View of the Arch of Constantine (Veduta...

Sale Date: December 15, 2023

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Veduta di Piazza Navona sopra le rovine del...

Circle of Giovanni Battista Piranesi

Veduta di Piazza Navona sopra le rovine del...

Sale Date: December 14, 2023

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Six plates from Vedute di Roma, 1772

Giovanni Battista Piranesi

Six plates from Vedute di Roma, 1772

Sale Date: December 6, 2023

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Opere Varie di Archiettura,..., 1743–1757

Giovanni Battista Piranesi

Opere Varie di Archiettura,..., 1743–1757

Sale Date: December 8, 2023

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THE PLAUZI MAUSOLEMU

After Giovanni Battista Piranesi

THE PLAUZI MAUSOLEMU

Sale Date: December 8, 2023

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CARCERI D'INVENZIONE, 1761

Giovanni Battista Piranesi

CARCERI D'INVENZIONE, 1761

Sale Date: November 28, 2023

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VEDUTA DI CAMPO VACCINO, 1772

Giovanni Battista Piranesi

VEDUTA DI CAMPO VACCINO, 1772

Sale Date: November 28, 2023

Auction Closed

ANTIQUUS BIVII VIARUM APPIAE ET ARDEATINAE..., 1756

Giovanni Battista Piranesi

ANTIQUUS BIVII VIARUM APPIAE ET ARDEATINAE..., 1756

Sale Date: November 28, 2023

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Veduta interna dell'Atrio del Portico di..., 1760

Giovanni Battista Piranesi

Veduta interna dell'Atrio del Portico di..., 1760

Sale Date: November 29, 2023

Auction Closed

Vue des restes de la celle du Temple de..., 1778

Giovanni Battista Piranesi

Vue des restes de la celle du Temple de..., 1778

Sale Date: November 29, 2023

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Titelblatt der Folge

Giovanni Battista Piranesi

Titelblatt der Folge "Carceri"

Sale Date: November 29, 2023

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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 29, 2023

Auction Closed

Der Treppenaufgang mit den Trophäen

Giovanni Battista Piranesi

Der Treppenaufgang mit den Trophäen

Sale Date: November 29, 2023

Auction Closed

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