Ruins of an Ancient Tomb

Ruins of an ancient tomb  is an original etching realized by the italian artist  Giovanni Battista Piranesi in 1762.

Very precoius and rare lifetime specimen. Roman edition.

Complete title on the lower margin of plate:   Rovine d'un antico sepolcro fatto a modo di settizonio su la Via Appia appresso la villa di Pompeo Magno, or fuori d'Albano dalla parte occidentale

Reference:

Cat. Ficacci Ed. Taschen n.564

Cat.Focillon 512

The state of preservation of the artwork is good except for very little tears along the margins

The print is characterized by soft and delicate strokes that define the composition in a balance and harmony

Giovanni Battista Piranesi  is well-known as an architect, an archaeologist and, undoubtedly as the most important engraver of the 18th century: the leading artist in this field in the period going from Rembrandt to Goya.

Generations after him would continue to imagine Ancient Rome as he portrayed it in his magnificent “ Vedute ”. In the last period, Piranesi’s activities, above all as an editor, were characterised by a more commercial flavour. By this time he was already very famous, and created the series of decorative plates of antiquities, collected in his work “Vasi, candelabri, cippi, sarcofagi, tripodi, lucerne, ed ornamenti antichi disegnati ed incisi dal cav. Gio. Batt. Piranesi pubblicati l’anno MDCCLXXIIX”, 1778, (Vases, candelabras, grave,stones, sarcophagi, tripods, lamps, and ornaments designed and etched by Cav. Gio.Batt. Piranesi, published in the year 1778), printed and integrated by his son Francesco.

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