Antichita di Cora Veduta del presente stato dell interno del Pronao del Tempio del Ercole nella citta di Cora – Giovanni Battista Piranesi Prints

Antichita di Cora Veduta del presente stato dell interno del Pronao del Tempio del Ercole nella citta di Cora – Giovanni Battista Piranesi Prints

Throughout the 1760’s Piranesi’s archeological publications were strongly conditioned by his involvement in the Graeco-Roman controversy.

In his final treatise of the decade, he went farther afield to demonstrate the independent technical achievements of the Italic races in Latium.

Selecting Cori, one of the most ancients’ settlements in Italy he concentrated in particular on the massive cyclopean town walls of the sixth century BC and on the so-called Temple of Hercules.

Giovanni Battista Piranesi (1720-78)

When Piranesi first arrived in Rome in 1740 there was an already established market for views of the city as Grand Tour souvenirs.

His Vedute however, executed from about 1748 until the end of his life transcended mere topographical accuracy. And became a heroic and tragic vision to the power of Roman architecture.

Two aspects of Piranesi’s Venetian background were key to the enabling of this vision:

• his training in engineering and stone construction which helped engender an appreciation of the effects of massive masonry. The poetic effect of ruins
• and his training in stage design which cultivated a sensitivity to effects of light and great skill in both linear and atmospheric perspective.

These architectonic/scenographic concerns found heightened and highly personal expression in Piranesi’s series of fantastic prison interiors. The Carceri d’Invenzione – which first appeared in the 1740’s.

A highly imaginative eclecticism of style characterised Piranesi’s work as a designer.  A trait reflecting his belief in a creative attitude towards the use of antique sources.

View all Giovanni Battista Piranesi Prints here