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)
Iscrizioni e Frammenti delle Camere, Plate XIV

After Giovanni Battista Piranesi

Iscrizioni e Frammenti delle Camere, Plate XIV

Sale Date: April 30, 2024

Auction Closed

Veduta del Castello dell' Acqua Paola sul Monte...

Giovanni Battista Piranesi

Veduta del Castello dell' Acqua Paola sul Monte...

Sale Date: May 9, 2024

Auction Closed

Veduta sul Monte Quirinale del Palazzo...

Giovanni Battista Piranesi

Veduta sul Monte Quirinale del Palazzo...

Sale Date: May 9, 2024

Auction Closed

Vue de la basilique Saint-Pierre et de la place...

After Giovanni Battista Piranesi

Vue de la basilique Saint-Pierre et de la place...

Sale Date: April 28, 2024

Auction Closed

Tempio di Bacco

Giovanni Battista Piranesi

Tempio di Bacco

Sale Date: April 16, 2024

Auction Closed

Colonna Trajana from Vedute di Roma, 1758

After Giovanni Battista Piranesi

Colonna Trajana from Vedute di Roma, 1758

Sale Date: April 25, 2024

Auction Closed

Frontispiece for Vedute de Roma, 1748, 1748

Giovanni Battista Piranesi

Frontispiece for Vedute de Roma, 1748, 1748

Sale Date: April 25, 2024

Auction Closed

After Giovanni Piranesi, Pair of Decorative Panels

After Giovanni Battista Piranesi

After Giovanni Piranesi, Pair of Decorative Panels

Sale Date: April 21, 2024

Auction Closed

After Giovanni Piranesi, Pair of Decorative Panels

After Giovanni Battista Piranesi

After Giovanni Piranesi, Pair of Decorative Panels

Sale Date: April 21, 2024

Auction Closed

The Monumental Tablet., 1750

Giovanni Battista Piranesi

The Monumental Tablet., 1750

Sale Date: April 18, 2024

Auction Closed

Two etchings from the Vedute di Roma., 1749

Giovanni Battista Piranesi

Two etchings from the Vedute di Roma., 1749

Sale Date: April 18, 2024

Auction Closed

Colonna Antonina., 1758

Giovanni Battista Piranesi

Colonna Antonina., 1758

Sale Date: April 18, 2024

Auction Closed

Veduta dell'Esterno della Gran Basilica di..., 1748

Giovanni Battista Piranesi

Veduta dell'Esterno della Gran Basilica di..., 1748

Sale Date: April 18, 2024

Auction Closed

Group of 4 etchings from the Vedute di Roma., 1758

Giovanni Battista Piranesi

Group of 4 etchings from the Vedute di Roma., 1758

Sale Date: April 18, 2024

Auction Closed

Veduta del Mausoleo d'Elio Adriano (ora..., 1754

Giovanni Battista Piranesi

Veduta del Mausoleo d'Elio Adriano (ora..., 1754

Sale Date: April 18, 2024

Auction Closed

Veduta del Ponte e Castello Sant'Angelo., 1754

Giovanni Battista Piranesi

Veduta del Ponte e Castello Sant'Angelo., 1754

Sale Date: April 18, 2024

Auction Closed

Veduta sul Monte Quirinale del Palazzo..., 1749

Giovanni Battista Piranesi

Veduta sul Monte Quirinale del Palazzo..., 1749

Sale Date: April 18, 2024

Auction Closed

Veduta degli avanzi superiori delle Terme di , 1774

Giovanni Battista Piranesi

Veduta degli avanzi superiori delle Terme di , 1774

Sale Date: April 18, 2024

Auction Closed

Avanzi di una Sala appartenente al Castro..., 1774

Giovanni Battista Piranesi

Avanzi di una Sala appartenente al Castro..., 1774

Sale Date: April 18, 2024

Auction Closed

Veduta di Piazza Navona., 1773

Giovanni Battista Piranesi

Veduta di Piazza Navona., 1773

Sale Date: April 18, 2024

Auction Closed

Veduta in Prospettiva della gran Fontana..., 1773

Giovanni Battista Piranesi

Veduta in Prospettiva della gran Fontana..., 1773

Sale Date: April 18, 2024

Auction Closed

The Well., 1749–1750

Giovanni Battista Piranesi

The Well., 1749–1750

Sale Date: April 18, 2024

Auction Closed

Catalogo delle Opere date finora alla luce..., 1769

Giovanni Battista Piranesi

Catalogo delle Opere date finora alla luce..., 1769

Sale Date: April 18, 2024

Auction Closed

LAPIDES CAPITOLINI SIVE FASTI CONSULARES..., 1762

Giovanni Battista Piranesi

LAPIDES CAPITOLINI SIVE FASTI CONSULARES..., 1762

Sale Date: April 24, 2024

Auction Closed

English (US)

©2024 Artnet Worldwide Corporation. All rights reserved.