Giovanni Battista Piranesi Prints and Multiples
Italian, 1720-1778
Piranesi was born in Venice in 1720 and died in Rome in 1778. He was the son of a stone mason and was trained as an architect. After a slow start he eventually achieved great success as an architect, archaeologist, artist, designer, collector, and antiquities dealer. His mission was to glorify the architecture of ancient Rome through his engravings and etchings. His highly dramatized prints often depict imaginary interiors and frequently include figures in mysterious activities, who are dwarfed by the magnitude of their monumental surroundings.
Piranesi's style greatly influenced the neoclassical art movement of the late 18th century. His dramatic scenes inspired generations of set designers, as well as artists, architects and writers. His prints have continued to increase in value to institutions and collectors.to
5
6
19
54
10
3
Overall Width
to
Overall Height
to
53
4
103
1,353
970
773
758
89
2
1
1
87
55
37
58
34
19
18
17
15
15
15
8
6
5
4
4
4
3
3
3
2
2
2
87
4
2
2
2
18
27
45
44
Artist: Giovanni Battista Piranesi
Giovanni Piranesi Marble Urns and Vases and Lamps Etching C.1770
By Giovanni Battista Piranesi
Located in San Francisco, CA
G.B. Piranesi Marble Urns and Vases and Lamps Etching c.1770
Beautiful 18th century etching by Giovanni Battista Piranesi (1720-1778)
Loose translation of the text: Knight Gio. Bat...
Category
Late 18th Century Old Masters Giovanni Battista Piranesi Prints and Multiples
Materials
Etching
Tripode antico di marmo che si conserva nel Museo Capitolino - Etching 1778
By Giovanni Battista Piranesi
Located in Roma, IT
English Title: Ancient Tripod Store in the Capitoline Museums...
Artist proof, printed on contemporary laid paper, wide margins, representing a “tripod from Villa lanti, Gianicolo (Rome)”. Etching with strong contrasts and sharp details. with a dedication to “Cavaliere Edward Walter”. Signed on plate "Cavalier Piranesi del. e inc.". Good condition, lightly worn paper, normal folds and little holes on higher margin due to the binding of the volume “Vases and Candelabras...
Category
Late 18th Century Giovanni Battista Piranesi Prints and Multiples
Materials
Etching
Vaso Cinerario di Gran Mole, etching from "Vases, Candelabras, Grave, Stones..."
By Giovanni Battista Piranesi
Located in Roma, IT
Well-knowned as an architect and an archaeologist, undoubtedly Giovanni Battista Piranesi, is the most important engraver of the 18th century: the leading artist in this field in the...
Category
1770s Giovanni Battista Piranesi Prints and Multiples
Materials
Engraving, Etching
Piranesi 18th C. Etching "Reliquiae Theartri Pompejani" an Ancient Roman Theater
By Giovanni Battista Piranesi
Located in Alamo, CA
This a framed Giovanni Battista Piranesi (1720-1778) etching entitled "Reliquiae Theartri Pompejani" (Remains of the Theatre of Pompey) from "Il Campo Marzio dell'Antica Roma" (The Campus Martius of Ancient Rome), published in Rome in 1762. It depicts the remains of an ancient theater in Rome with exposed seating and an arch still standing in the foreground. An inset shows an architectural side view of a portion of the structure.
The etching is presented in an antiqued silver-colored wood frame with a cream-colored French mat. The frame measures 24" x 20.75" x 1.25". The print is in excellent condition.
The Theatre of Pompey (Latin: Theatrum Pompeii, Italian: Teatro di Pompeo) was a structure in Ancient Rome built during the latter part of the Roman Republican era by Pompey the Great...
Category
Mid-18th Century Old Masters Giovanni Battista Piranesi Prints and Multiples
Materials
Etching
Veduta del Ponte Lugano sull'Anione - Etching by G. B. Piranesi
By Giovanni Battista Piranesi
Located in Roma, IT
Image dimensions 45x65.6.
Veduta del Ponte Lugano su l'Anione is a superb black and white etching on laid paper realized by Giovan Battista Piranesi....
Category
1740s Giovanni Battista Piranesi Prints and Multiples
Materials
Etching
Ruine di Sepolcro antico
By Giovanni Battista Piranesi
Located in Fairlawn, OH
Ruine di Sepolcro antico
Etching, 1743
Signed in the plate bottomleft in the caaption plate
From: Prima Parte, 1743
Second edition: 1750-1778
Watermark: R 37-39
A lifetime impression printed during Piranesi’s life, before the plates are moved to Paris by his sons in the 1790’s
Coniditon: Excellent/Very good
Image size: 14 5/8 x 9 3/4 inches
Reference: Robison 17 iii/V
Piranesi In Rome: Prima Parte di Architetture e Prospettive
"Although Piranesi studied architecture in Venice, he never was able to find work in the field other than a few jobs involving remodeling in Rome. While Piranesi was struggling to support his architectural endeavors upon his arrival in Rome in 1740, he spent a short period of time in the studio of master painter Giovanni Battista Tiepolo (1696-1770) in addition to his apprenticeship with Giuseppe Vasi. The first production of Piranesi’s early years in Rome and a culmination of his training under Vasi, Tiepolo, and his uncle, was the Prima Parte di Architetture e Prospettive (1743). The Prima Parte was a collection of twelve etchings of imaginary temples, palaces, ruins, and a prison. During this time, Piranesi was still developing the unique style of etching he is known for today, and as such the Prima Parte differs significantly in technique compared to later works. In the Frontispiece of the Prima Parte, Piranesi’s lines are definite and exact with very little flow to them, designed in the form of traditional etching. The detail is immaculate, and yet perspective of the piece is oddly simple and familiar to the viewer. Piranesi’s technique employs miniscule markings and lines, intricately woven together to create a stippling effect. The Prima Parte, described as “rigid” by art historian Jonathan Scott, came to be seen as a stark contrast to his later sketches, which were much lighter and freer. Influenced by the style of Tiepolo, which epitomized the lightness and brightness of the Rococo period, Piranesi adopted some of the more painterly techniques of the masters he apprenticed under. Piranesi made the medium of etching appear as though it was a sketch or a painting, hence a “freer” and more fluid design in his later works. For example, the frontispiece of the Prima Parte read as an etching to Piranesi’s audience, but in his later vedute, the style of etching almost appears to be made of brushstrokes. Moreover, at the same time Piranesi was working on the Prima Parte, he aided the artist Giambattista Nolli. There is a small section of Nolli’s map...
Category
1740s Old Masters Giovanni Battista Piranesi Prints and Multiples
Materials
Etching
Galleria grande di Statue
By Giovanni Battista Piranesi
Located in Fairlawn, OH
Galleria grande di Statue
Etching, 1743
Signed lower left corner of the plate
From: Prima Parte, 1743
Second edition: 1750-1778
Watermark: R 37-39
A lifetime impression printed during Piranesi’s life, before the plates are moved to Paris by his sons in the 1790’s
Condition: Excellent
Image size: 14 5/8 x 9 3/4 inches
Reference: Robison 2 iii/V
Piranesi In Rome: Prima Parte di Architetture e Prospettive
"Although Piranesi studied architecture in Venice, he never was able to find work in the field other than a few jobs involving remodeling in Rome. While Piranesi was struggling to support his architectural endeavors upon his arrival in Rome in 1740, he spent a short period of time in the studio of master painter Giovanni Battista Tiepolo (1696-1770) in addition to his apprenticeship with Giuseppe Vasi. The first production of Piranesi’s early years in Rome and a culmination of his training under Vasi, Tiepolo, and his uncle, was the Prima Parte di Architetture e Prospettive (1743). The Prima Parte was a collection of twelve etchings of imaginary temples, palaces, ruins, and a prison. During this time, Piranesi was still developing the unique style of etching he is known for today, and as such the Prima Parte differs significantly in technique compared to later works. In the Frontispiece of the Prima Parte, Piranesi’s lines are definite and exact with very little flow to them, designed in the form of traditional etching. The detail is immaculate, and yet perspective of the piece is oddly simple and familiar to the viewer. Piranesi’s technique employs miniscule markings and lines, intricately woven together to create a stippling effect. The Prima Parte, described as “rigid” by art historian Jonathan Scott, came to be seen as a stark contrast to his later sketches, which were much lighter and freer. Influenced by the style of Tiepolo, which epitomized the lightness and brightness of the Rococo period, Piranesi adopted some of the more painterly techniques of the masters he apprenticed under. Piranesi made the medium of etching appear as though it was a sketch or a painting, hence a “freer” and more fluid design in his later works. For example, the frontispiece of the Prima Parte read as an etching to Piranesi’s audience, but in his later vedute, the style of etching almost appears to be made of brushstrokes. Moreover, at the same time Piranesi was working on the Prima Parte, he aided the artist Giambattista Nolli. There is a small section of Nolli’s map...
Category
1740s Old Masters Giovanni Battista Piranesi Prints and Multiples
Materials
Etching
Vari Candelabri, un Vaso e Due Urne Cinerarie - Etching - 1778
By Giovanni Battista Piranesi
Located in Roma, IT
Three candelabra, a vase and two cinerary urns.
Artist proof, printed on contemporary laid paper, wide margins, from the serie “Vases and Candelabras...
Category
Late 18th Century Giovanni Battista Piranesi Prints and Multiples
Materials
Etching
Sepolcro Regio, o Consolare , inciso nella rupe... - G. B. Piranesi - 1764
By Giovanni Battista Piranesi
Located in Roma, IT
Sepolcro Regio, o Consolare , inciso nella rupe del Monte Albano (Royal or Consular Tomb in the Alban Hills) is an original etching realized by Giovan Battista Piranesi in 1764.
Ed...
Category
1760s Giovanni Battista Piranesi Prints and Multiples
Materials
Etching
Piranesi VI.
By Giovanni Battista Piranesi
Located in Slovak Republic, SK
Fine Art Print Hahnemuehle, edition, Giovanni Battista Piranesi print in Verlag von Ad Lehmann in Wien, end of 19 Century.
Category
Late 18th Century Italian School Giovanni Battista Piranesi Prints and Multiples
Materials
Black and White, Archival Pigment
Altra veduta del medesimo in prospettiva - Etching by G.B. Piranesi - 1778
By Giovanni Battista Piranesi
Located in Roma, IT
Complete name : Altra veduta del medesimo in prospettiva, fra una lampada e un piccolo vaso in bronzo
Artist proof, with a good contrast and sharp details, printed on contemporary la...
Category
Late 18th Century Giovanni Battista Piranesi Prints and Multiples
Materials
Etching
Candelabro ornato con diversi arabeschi... Etching 1778
By Giovanni Battista Piranesi
Located in Roma, IT
Candelabrum base ornamented with various arabesques
Artist proof, printed on contemporary watermarked paper, wide margins, representing a “candelabrum base ornamented with various arabesques” in P.ce Lanti, Roma. Etching with good contrasts and sharp details.Signed on plate “Cavalier Piranesi F..” on lower-left margin. Good conditions, with usual fold, some foxing and little holes in higher margin due to the binding of the volume “Vases and Candelabras...
Category
Late 18th Century Giovanni Battista Piranesi Prints and Multiples
Materials
Etching
Rovine del Tempio de' Castori nella città di Cora - Etching by G. B. Piranesi
By Giovanni Battista Piranesi
Located in Roma, IT
Image dimensions 40.6x56.8.
Belongs to the Collection "Antiquities of Cori, described and etched by Giovambat Piranesi", and printed in 1764.
Beautiful first roman edition/1st state ...
Category
1760s Giovanni Battista Piranesi Prints and Multiples
Materials
Etching
Vaso antico di marmo che è ornato di quattro Maschere - Etching 1778
By Giovanni Battista Piranesi
Located in Roma, IT
Antique marble vase decorated with four masks
Artist proof, printed on contemporary laid paper, wide margins, representing an “antique marble vase ...
Category
Late 18th Century Giovanni Battista Piranesi Prints and Multiples
Materials
Etching
Veduta della Magnifica Sostruzione Fabricata - Etching by G. B. Piranesi -1760s
By Giovanni Battista Piranesi
Located in Roma, IT
View of the magnificent substructure is an original etching realized by the italian artist Giovanni Battista Piranesi.
Very precoius and rare specimen. Roman edition.
Complete tit...
Category
Late 18th Century Giovanni Battista Piranesi Prints and Multiples
Materials
Etching
Temples of Iside and Serapi - Etching by G. B. Piranesi - 1759
By Giovanni Battista Piranesi
Located in Roma, IT
Temples of Iside and Serapi is an etching realized by the italian artist Giovanni Battista Piranesi in 1759.
Image dimensions: 41.5 x 55.5 cm.
Very precious lifetime impression. C...
Category
1750s Giovanni Battista Piranesi Prints and Multiples
Materials
Etching
The Monumental Tablet
By Giovanni Battista Piranesi
Located in Fairlawn, OH
The Monumental Tablet
Etching, engraving, drypoint and burnishing, c. 1748
Series: Grotteschi (Grotesques, 4 plates)
Original, unwashed condition. Excellent.
Second edition first is...
Category
1740s Old Masters Giovanni Battista Piranesi Prints and Multiples
Materials
Etching
Veduta della Basilica di S. Paolo Fuor delle Mura - Etching
By Giovanni Battista Piranesi
Located in Roma, IT
Etching on laid and watermarked paper (a double circles visible near the bell tower). 38 th Plate from the series " Views of Rome".
Signed on plate on lower-left margin "Piranesi F....
Category
1740s Giovanni Battista Piranesi Prints and Multiples
Materials
Etching
Veduta degli Avanzi sopra terra dell'antico Ustrino - Etching by G. B. Piranesi
By Giovanni Battista Piranesi
Located in Roma, IT
Image dimensions 40x60.
Veduta degli Avanzi sopra terra dell’antico Ustrino (View of the visible remains of the ancient crematorium) is a wonderful black and white etching on thick...
Category
1750s Giovanni Battista Piranesi Prints and Multiples
Materials
Etching
View of the Cave known as Bergantino - Etching by G. B. Piranesi - 1762
By Giovanni Battista Piranesi
Located in Roma, IT
View of the Cave known as Bergantino is an etching realized by the italian artist Giovanni Battista Piranesi in 1762.
Very precious and rare lifetime impression. Roman edition.
C...
Category
1750s Old Masters Giovanni Battista Piranesi Prints and Multiples
Materials
Etching
Vaso antico di marmo adornato di finissimi intagli ed arabeschi - Etching 1778
By Giovanni Battista Piranesi
Located in Roma, IT
Marble vase with frieze of arabesques.
Artist proof, printed on contemporary laid paper, wide margins, representing “an antique marble vase frieze of arab...
Category
Late 18th Century Giovanni Battista Piranesi Prints and Multiples
Materials
Etching
Palace of the Chancellery - Etching by G.B.Piranesi- 18th century
By Giovanni Battista Piranesi
Located in Roma, IT
Palace of the Chancellery is an original etching realized by the italian artist Giovanni Battista Piranesi in 18th century.
Signed on the plate on the lower.
Very good conditions
...
Category
18th Century Modern Giovanni Battista Piranesi Prints and Multiples
Materials
Etching
Vaso antico di marmo, che si conosceva nella Galleria... - Etching 1778
By Giovanni Battista Piranesi
Located in Roma, IT
English Title (short version): Antique marble vase in the Gallery of the Palazzo Barberini
Artist proof, printed on contemporary paper, large marg...
Category
18th Century Giovanni Battista Piranesi Prints and Multiples
Materials
Etching
Profilo d'una Sedia Curule di Marmo
By Giovanni Battista Piranesi
Located in Roma, IT
Etching of the serie “Vases, candelabras, gravestones, sarcophagi, tripods, lamps, and ornaments”, made and etched by Piranesi, published in the year 1778 by his son Francesco. Very fine etching, “Profile of the curial chair...
Category
1770s Old Masters Giovanni Battista Piranesi Prints and Multiples
Materials
Etching
Altra veduta del medesimo in prospettiva...
By Giovanni Battista Piranesi
Located in Roma, IT
Title : Altra veduta del medesimo in prospettiva, fra una lampada e un piccolo vaso in bronzo
Artist proof, with a good contrast and sharp details, printed on antique laid paper, lar...
Category
1770s Old Masters Giovanni Battista Piranesi Prints and Multiples
Materials
Drypoint
Sezione per il Luogo della Nave - Etching by G.B. Piranesi - 1778
By Giovanni Battista Piranesi
Located in Roma, IT
Section for the place of the boat.
Wonderful proof, printed on contemporary laid paper, wide margins, representing a “section for the place of the boat”. Etching with good contrasts ...
Category
Late 18th Century Giovanni Battista Piranesi Prints and Multiples
Materials
Etching
Veduta per Angolo dello stesso Candelabro - Etching - 1778
By Giovanni Battista Piranesi
Located in Roma, IT
Another view of the same Candelabrum
Artist proof, printed on contemporary laid paper, wide margins, showing a precious candelabrum. Etching with good contrasts and sharp details. In...
Category
Late 18th Century Giovanni Battista Piranesi Prints and Multiples
Materials
Etching
Prospetto della medesima Sedia Curale, Veduta della parte... - Etching 1778
By Giovanni Battista Piranesi
Located in Roma, IT
Another front view of the same chair / Rear view of the same chair.
Artist proof, printed on contemporary watermarkedpaper, wide margins, representing the same chair in front and re...
Category
Late 18th Century Giovanni Battista Piranesi Prints and Multiples
Materials
Etching
Vaso Cinerario di Gran Mole
By Giovanni Battista Piranesi
Located in Roma, IT
Artist's proof, printed on antique laid paper, large margins, representing an antique marble vase, whose details are described in the ending note....
Category
1770s Old Masters Giovanni Battista Piranesi Prints and Multiples
Materials
Etching
Antiche urne cinerarie e lampade
By Giovanni Battista Piranesi
Located in Roma, IT
From the Piranesi's series “Vasi, candelabri, cippi, sarcofagi, tripodi, lucerne, ed ornamenti antichi disegnati ed incisi dal cav. Gio. Batt. Piranesi pubblicati l’anno MDCCLXXIIX” (1778). Antiche urne cinerarie e lampade" is an artist proof, printed on contemporary laid paper, large margins, representing antique marble cinerary urns - “found into antique graves...
Category
1770s Old Masters Giovanni Battista Piranesi Prints and Multiples
Materials
Etching
Veduta delle Antiche Sostruzioni, Vintage Cityscape Etching by Giovanni Piranesi
By Giovanni Battista Piranesi
Located in Long Island City, NY
Artist: Giovanni Battista Piranesi, Italian (1720 - 1788)
Title: Veduta delle Antiche Sostruzioni
Portfolio: Vedute di Roma
Year: 1776
Medium: Etching
...
Category
1770s Old Masters Giovanni Battista Piranesi Prints and Multiples
Materials
Etching
Due Urne Cinerarie - Etching - 1778
By Giovanni Battista Piranesi
Located in Roma, IT
Two cinerary Urns
Artist proof, printed on contemporary laid paper, wide margins, representing “two cinerary urns”. Etching with good contrasts and sharp details, with a dedication to “Signor Giovanni Corbet, Cavaliere inglese”. Signed on plate “Cavalier Piranesi F..” in lower left margin. Very good conditions, with normal fold, left margin lightly damaged, and little holes in higher margin due to the binding of the volume “Vases and Candelabras...
Category
Late 18th Century Giovanni Battista Piranesi Prints and Multiples
Materials
Etching
Prospetto della medesima sedia Curule... - Etching 1778
By Giovanni Battista Piranesi
Located in Roma, IT
Another front view of the same chair + Cinerary urn in marble
Artist proof, printed on contemporary laid paper, wide margins. Two Piranesi’s Etching on the same sheet, with good cont...
Category
Late 18th Century Giovanni Battista Piranesi Prints and Multiples
Materials
Etching
Monumento antico ritrovato fra le rovine di un Sepolcro sulla Via Appia - 1778
By Giovanni Battista Piranesi
Located in Roma, IT
Antique monument found in a tomb on the Via Appia
Artist proof, printed on contemporary laid paper, wide margins, representing an “antique monument found in ...
Category
Late 18th Century Giovanni Battista Piranesi Prints and Multiples
Materials
Etching
Giovanni Battista Piranesi prints and multiples for sale on 1stDibs.
Find a wide variety of authentic Giovanni Battista Piranesi prints and multiples available for sale on 1stDibs. You can also browse by medium to find art by Giovanni Battista Piranesi in etching, engraving, paper and more. Much of the original work by this artist or collective was created during the 18th century and earlier and is mostly associated with the Old Masters style. Not every interior allows for large Giovanni Battista Piranesi prints and multiples, so small editions measuring 8 inches across are available. Customers who are interested in this artist might also find the work of Francisco Goya, Frans Hogenberg, and Giuseppe Vasi. Giovanni Battista Piranesi prints and multiples prices can differ depending upon medium, time period and other attributes. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $425 and tops out at $24,955, while the average work can sell for $2,380.
Artists Similar to Giovanni Battista Piranesi
Questions About Giovanni Battista Piranesi Prints and Multiples
- 1stDibs ExpertJanuary 10, 2025Giovanni Battista Piranesi is famous for his work spanning many different fields. After a slow start, he eventually achieved great success as an architect, archaeologist, artist, designer, collector and antiquities dealer. His mission was to glorify the architecture of ancient Rome through his engravings and etchings. His highly dramatized prints often depict imaginary interiors and frequently include figures in mysterious activities who are dwarfed by the magnitude of their monumental surroundings. Piranesi's style greatly influenced the neoclassical art movement of the late 18th century. Explore a collection of Giovanni Battista Piranesi art on 1stDibs.