Giovanni Battista Piranesi (Italian, 1720–1778), Engraving of an Urn

Details

Description

Giovanni Battista Piranesi (Italian, 1720–1778)
Engraving of an Urn
Rome, circa 1768–1778

Etching on paper
Dimensions: 35 × 29 1/8 … Read more Giovanni Battista Piranesi (Italian, 1720–1778)
Engraving of an Urn
Rome, circa 1768–1778

Etching on paper
Dimensions: 35 × 29 1/8 × 1 1/2 in.

Executed and published in Rome during the late 1760s–1770s, this etching by Giovanni Battista Piranesi belongs to his celebrated series documenting ancient vases from Cardinal Alessandro Albani’s renowned collection. While the inscription attributes the original drawing to Cavaliere Giovanni Battista Coppiello, the virtuosic printmaking is distinctly Piranesi’s.

The composition presents a monumental urn encircled by richly detailed reliefs. Draped classical figures, floral garlands, acanthus leaves, and putti animate the vessel’s surface with rhythmic interplay between mythological allegory and natural ornament. Piranesi’s mastery of chiaroscuro conveys the tactile qualities of carved stone, transforming the two-dimensional print into an illusion of sculptural depth.

The urn rests upon a dramatic pedestal upheld by winged creatures—griffins or sphinxes—whose outstretched forms balance architectural strength with elegance. Decorative scrollwork and medallions unify the base with the iconography of the vessel.

Inscriptions situate the urn within Albani’s villa outside Porta Salaria and dedicate the print to Monsignor Camunara Riminaldi, a gesture reflecting both ecclesiastical patronage and the circulation of antiquarian imagery among Rome’s elite.

The piece is within a simple black frame with a wide white matte.

References

Henri Focillon, Giovanni Battista Piranesi: Essai de catalogue raisonné de son œuvre, Paris, 1918, no. 634.

John Wilton-Ely, Giovanni Battista Piranesi: The Complete Etchings, San Francisco, 1994, no. 921.

(Ref: NY10864-nirx) See less